Sara Saund & Isobel Fothergill: Reflecting on student life during lockdown

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    [post_date] => 2021-09-13 12:24:51
    [post_date_gmt] => 2021-09-13 11:24:51
    [post_content] => Sara Saund:

What a year! I was a year 3 student at the School of Homeopathy when we first went into lockdown. As well as studying, I am a mother of 2 daughters aged 8 & 11, and I run an online fair trade jewellery store. I had chosen the attendance course for my studies as I knew there was simply no way I’d keep up with the course if left to my own devices on a distance learning platform.

Since the beginning of the course, the monthly weekends at college had felt like going on a retreat - time away from home to fill my own cup. With learning yes, but more than that, with nourishing friendships and a deep sense of connection. I have always come home from these weekends away feeling inspired and uplifted, and filled with a fire in my belly which would get me through that month’s assignments.

I felt a deep sense of disappointment that I would not be able to continue with these special weekends. And although the college provided us with live lessons to try to compensate a little for this loss, a zoom lecture just isn’t the same as being in a room with your peers, and all the juicy discussions that take place outside the classroom.

Maintaining my motivation for college work with two kids at home has been a massive challenge. It is my love of homeopathy and my burning desire to complete the course on time that has got me through. That and my amazing classmates, with whom I have shared so much over that last few years, not least the proving of serotonin in our 3rd year. We have reached out to each other and offered the warm hand of support in the moments when lockdown life has simply been too much.

In terms of my supervised practice, I was concerned at first that I wouldn’t be able to experience real connection with my patients on a video call. But that has simply not been the case. I have been able to work with 16 different people over the past year and a bit, and we are not limited by geographical proximity. I haven’t had to worry about where to set up my clinical practice, as a little corner of a room has been enough.

I am just a few weeks away from graduating, and although I am so proud of this achievement, there is also a deep sadness within me. All those missed weekends at Hawkwood - I feel cheated! I want another year! Still, I am grateful that unlike my friends who graduated last year, we will at least be able to mark our achievement with a small ceremony.

Thankfully, on this chosen path of homeopathy, being a student never really ends. There is always so much more to learn and discover, and I look forward to all the wonderful learning experiences and opportunities to connect with fellow homeopaths in the years to come.

Isobel Fothergill:

This wasn’t how I’d envisaged finishing Year 3 of my homeopathy course: sitting on my son’s beanbag with a laptop balanced precariously on my knees whilst simultaneously twisting my head owl-like to read ‘The Sensation in Homeopathy’. In retrospect it was hardly surprising that the character descriptions I wrote to personify the eleven miasms were all rather morose. If only then I’d realised how lucky I was to have a beanbag. Four weeks later my son decided it was his bean bag and it belonged in his room, so those halcyon days were over. With three children and a husband at home, desk space was in short supply.

Juggling family life and studying during lockdown was undoubtedly a challenge. Every morning the children and I squatted, lunged and star jumped along with Joe Wicks, after which the children started their home learning. A good routine benefitted everyone’s mental health. Elevenses became a popular daily event and afternoons were spent baking, cycling, walking, crafting, negotiating arguments and facilitating play. This left little time for homeopathy. The solution was fairly simple: 4-6pm became tech time, at which point I put a poster on my bedroom door saying, “Mum is working” and sat myself on the beanbag (or floor).

The worst aspect of lockdown was witnessing the slow decline of my mother, who passed away in December 2020 after a short illness, exacerbated by loneliness and lack of continuity of care. I was constantly worried about her but studying provided a distraction, a different world into which I could disappear as I discovered a new remedy picture or took a patient case.

Despite these challenges, continuing my studies was hugely beneficial. It gave me a purpose outside of family life and helped me retain a sense of self. There were more obstacles to navigate, but like climbing over fallen branches or trees in the road, it was still possible to progress and take steps towards my goal of becoming a homeopath. Homeopathy offers a different worldview and consequently a sense of positivity about the future. I had remedies to use if the family fell ill, and looking after yourself, through diet, exercise and mental stimulation, all contribute to lessening one’s susceptibility to disease.

Zoom quickly became an essential component of student life, providing a platform for online clinics, teaching, webinars and tutorials. I was more connected to the world of homeopathy than ever before as I attended online events and conferences that previously would have taken place in London or further afield. Although I frequently felt “zoomed out” after a weekend of lectures, technology enabled connection and support to flourish despite the closing down of the outside world.

So what did the challenges of studying in 2020 teach me? The importance of resilience and tenacity but also an appreciation of mine and other people’s struggles. More than ever, we need to remember that we may be experiencing the same storm, but our boats are strikingly different. What could be more homeopathic than that?
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Sara Saund:

What a year! I was a year 3 student at the School of Homeopathy when we first went into lockdown. As well as studying, I am a mother of 2 daughters aged 8 & 11, and I run an online fair trade jewellery store. I had chosen the attendance course for my studies as I knew there was simply no way I’d keep up with the course if left to my own devices on a distance learning platform.

Since the beginning of the course, the monthly weekends at college had felt like going on a retreat – time away from home to fill my own cup. With learning yes, but more than that, with nourishing friendships and a deep sense of connection. I have always come home from these weekends away feeling inspired and uplifted, and filled with a fire in my belly which would get me through that month’s assignments.

I felt a deep sense of disappointment that I would not be able to continue with these special weekends. And although the college provided us with live lessons to try to compensate a little for this loss, a zoom lecture just isn’t the same as being in a room with your peers, and all the juicy discussions that take place outside the classroom.

Maintaining my motivation for college work with two kids at home has been a massive challenge. It is my love of homeopathy and my burning desire to complete the course on time that has got me through. That and my amazing classmates, with whom I have shared so much over that last few years, not least the proving of serotonin in our 3rd year. We have reached out to each other and offered the warm hand of support in the moments when lockdown life has simply been too much.

In terms of my supervised practice, I was concerned at first that I wouldn’t be able to experience real connection with my patients on a video call. But that has simply not been the case. I have been able to work with 16 different people over the past year and a bit, and we are not limited by geographical proximity. I haven’t had to worry about where to set up my clinical practice, as a little corner of a room has been enough.

I am just a few weeks away from graduating, and although I am so proud of this achievement, there is also a deep sadness within me. All those missed weekends at Hawkwood – I feel cheated! I want another year! Still, I am grateful that unlike my friends who graduated last year, we will at least be able to mark our achievement with a small ceremony.

Thankfully, on this chosen path of homeopathy, being a student never really ends. There is always so much more to learn and discover, and I look forward to all the wonderful learning experiences and opportunities to connect with fellow homeopaths in the years to come.

Isobel Fothergill:

This wasn’t how I’d envisaged finishing Year 3 of my homeopathy course: sitting on my son’s beanbag with a laptop balanced precariously on my knees whilst simultaneously twisting my head owl-like to read ‘The Sensation in Homeopathy’. In retrospect it was hardly surprising that the character descriptions I wrote to personify the eleven miasms were all rather morose. If only then I’d realised how lucky I was to have a beanbag. Four weeks later my son decided it was his bean bag and it belonged in his room, so those halcyon days were over. With three children and a husband at home, desk space was in short supply.

Juggling family life and studying during lockdown was undoubtedly a challenge. Every morning the children and I squatted, lunged and star jumped along with Joe Wicks, after which the children started their home learning. A good routine benefitted everyone’s mental health. Elevenses became a popular daily event and afternoons were spent baking, cycling, walking, crafting, negotiating arguments and facilitating play. This left little time for homeopathy. The solution was fairly simple: 4-6pm became tech time, at which point I put a poster on my bedroom door saying, “Mum is working” and sat myself on the beanbag (or floor).

The worst aspect of lockdown was witnessing the slow decline of my mother, who passed away in December 2020 after a short illness, exacerbated by loneliness and lack of continuity of care. I was constantly worried about her but studying provided a distraction, a different world into which I could disappear as I discovered a new remedy picture or took a patient case.

Despite these challenges, continuing my studies was hugely beneficial. It gave me a purpose outside of family life and helped me retain a sense of self. There were more obstacles to navigate, but like climbing over fallen branches or trees in the road, it was still possible to progress and take steps towards my goal of becoming a homeopath. Homeopathy offers a different worldview and consequently a sense of positivity about the future. I had remedies to use if the family fell ill, and looking after yourself, through diet, exercise and mental stimulation, all contribute to lessening one’s susceptibility to disease.

Zoom quickly became an essential component of student life, providing a platform for online clinics, teaching, webinars and tutorials. I was more connected to the world of homeopathy than ever before as I attended online events and conferences that previously would have taken place in London or further afield. Although I frequently felt “zoomed out” after a weekend of lectures, technology enabled connection and support to flourish despite the closing down of the outside world.

So what did the challenges of studying in 2020 teach me? The importance of resilience and tenacity but also an appreciation of mine and other people’s struggles. More than ever, we need to remember that we may be experiencing the same storm, but our boats are strikingly different. What could be more homeopathic than that?

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