April 6th

I read up online that a 99-year-old woman from Italy completely recovered from Corona virus. A
much-needed positive news.
April 7th
I learnt that the university society I reside in setup a fund to ensure that the sanitary staff is
looked after during the epidemic.
April 8th
I managed to secure full marks in an online course I am taking from Coursea.
April 9th
A female student from LUMS too the initiative to start a ration drive in her city, Layyah. This
was inspirational for all of us.
April 10th
I was pleasantly surprised to note that the peach tree within our home – that had not given any
fruit for quite some time – had started growing little flowers.
April 11th
Our business communication group managed to secure the second highest marks for a project.
We sent a thank you note to the local entrepreneur who aided us it.
April 12th
One of my friends managed to get into the EC of a society in LUMS. I am glad that he got
rewarded for all the hard work he had put in.
Weekly note
I started a course called ‘Business Metrics for Data Driven Companies’ on Coursea. This course
will enable me to learn a few critical business analytics tools. It is also a requisite for a business
analytics certification. I also managed to buy ration from my savings for individuals who cannot
afford it. I plan on distributing it after identifying a few families that are in need for it. Even
though online learning is a novel experience, I have managed to learn a few skills – especially
from my Decision Analysis course. I am slightly concerned about people not completely abiding
by the lockdown protocols. We need to realize that social distancing is the only way through
which we can tackle this issue – especially considering the lack of a vaccine at this point in time.
April 13th
We got a news that the two guards within the university who got tested for corona got their
results back. It was negative!
April 14th
My siblings decided to divide up the chore within the house to ensure that our parents didn’t
have to do anything on their own.
April 15th
I cleared the second quiz for the online course I was taking on Coursea – again with full marks.
April 16th
The weather here was extremely pleasant today. If anything, the lockdown has had a positive
impact on our environment.
April 17th
Since we had given our gardener a paid leave, I decided to look after the plants.
Weekly
It is noticeable to see the impact that the lockdown has had on the environment. It makes me
wonder how much we pollute it on a daily basis and for how long can we sustain it. I noticed that
the birds and other stray animals have difficulty in foraging for food due to limited waste
outside. So, I have asked my parents and neighbors to feed these animals and birds the leftovers
so that they do not starve. The pandemic has brought communities together in the sense that they
are actively trying to help another. Globally, this week experienced a rapid increase in the
number of positive cases of COVID-19 which is incredibly worrying. The fact that developed
countries like U.S and Italy are suffering the most makes me worry a lot about what can possibly
happen in developing countries such as ours.
April 18th
I was relieved to see that there had been a decrease in the number of cases within district Gujrat.
Hope this persists!
April 19th
I got in touch with an old classmate from Quetta. I was delighted to find out that he was in a
renowned university abroad on a 100% scholarship.
April 20th
I have managed to successfully take good care of the flower bed within our garden which is now
in full bloom. The peach tree is also doing good. Hope it brings fruit this time around.
April 21st
We came across our old VCR that has a large number of videos from our childhood. All our
family members got together in the evening to watch them. It felt good to relive the past.
April 22nd
I have been doing the dishes for over a week now. It is interesting how washing dishes can be so
therapeutic.
April 23rd
While the number of COVID-19 cases throughout the world are increasing, I was delighted to
know that New Zealand had effectively dealt with the crisis and had minimum cases.
April 24th
Since it is Jumma and it is advised not to go to the mosque to pray, we decided to pray together
at home. My father has a beautiful oratory voice.
April 25th
A close family friend who had contracted corona was about to be discharged from the hospital.
This was a relieving and motivating news.

April 26th
I finally managed to complete all my pending assignments for the week.
Weekly
Considering that the house help had been given a paid leave because of the pandemic, I had
decided to look after our garden. Even though I had little prior experience of tending to a garden,
YouTube tutorials and internets have helped a lot. I managed to trim the hedges and the flower
beds properly. I also discovered quite a few birds nest in strange places. It is incredibly
refreshing to see your efforts bearing fruit in the form of blooming flowers and fresh grass. I
have been particularly attentive towards this peach tree, hoping that it gives off fruits this time
around. With each passing day comes the gloomy news of increased COVID-19 cases within the
country, especially in Gujrat district. I hope that the healthcare facilities here is sufficient in
dealing with the increased number of patients effectively.
April 27th
I finished the third quiz for the course I was taking on Coursea. Now I need to complete one
assignment to have the certification.
April 28th
I had a productive online meeting with my Decision Analysis group. Since most of the group
members are my friends, it was nice to see them all.
April 29th
A junior from my college messaged me to tell me that he got admitted into LUMS. I was glad to
see how excited he was about this opportunity.
April 30th
I finished the final assignment for the course I had taken on Coursea. It will take a day or two to
learn whether I got the certification or not.
April 31st
My next-door neighbor’s cat had a few kittens. Due to social distancing, I didn’t go their home to
see them. However, they were kind enough to send pictures.
May 1st
Since it was our mother’s birthday today, we decided to make Aftaar and bake her a cake. She
was incredibly happy with the effort we had put in.
May 2nd
I got the certification for successfully completing my first course on Coursea. I’m planning on
starting another after the finals.
May 3rd
I finished ‘The Plague’ by Albert Camus that I had started reading after the outbreak. It was an
incredibly moving story and highlighted the importance of living in the moment and being happy
for what you have.
Weekly
I managed to successfully complete my first Coursea course and got the certification from Duke
University. This course was instrumental in providing me with a nuanced perspective of not only
the metrics that are instrumental for data analytics, but also about how data can be used to
improve the efficiency of a company. I also got done with nearly all my course projects for this
semester. These projects helped me in learning a wide range of skills which will aid me in both
my personal and professional life. Since the finals week is about to begin, workload has
increased. This coupled with Ramadan has made me change my schedule a bit. This week, I
went out to buy rations for our family and also for charity and was incredibly worried to see how
the underprivileged were struggling through this pandemic. It made me realize the responsibly
individuals such as myself have to ensure that these people are properly looked after.
May 4th
The peach tree has finally started giving fruits! I had to make arrangements for a few branches
since they had come dangerously close to the ground.
May 5thth
Distributed ratio in a local community. It was a humbling experience and made me realize how
blessed I am and the responsibilities I have.
May 6th
My younger sister had her first roza of this ramazan. Seeing her so happy warmed my heart. I
also learnt that my close friend was made the President of his society.
May 7th
I read that Italy, one of the most affected nations from COVID-19, had started to flatten the
curve gradually.
May 8th
I got done with all my projects for this semester. I learnt quite a few tools through these projects.
May 9th
I had managed to complete read half of the Holy Quran for this Ramazan – with translation.
May 10th
We finally plucked the fruits from the peach tree. I distributed a portion of these within our
neighborhood.
Despite the fact that this semester did not go to plan due to the pandemic, I am glad of the fact
that I took this course, Social Entrepreneurship. This course practically taught me how to set up
and run a social enterprise, how to collaborate with various stakeholders and how to bring about
a positive change within the society. We managed to create an enterprise that had originally
planned on opening dream rooms but couldn’t execute it due to the pandemic. However, our
group members decided that we will open at least one dream room as soon as the pandemic is
over. I was taken aback by the new fee structure that the university had implemented, especially
during such a time. It is distressing to see that this revision had taken place with little student
body input, especially considering that they are the ones most affected by this. However, I am
glad that students are raising their voice against it and hopefully the administration will revise its
decision.
The three important things that are affecting my life during the pandemic are
1. The uncertainty regarding the pandemic has disrupted my plans for the summer. But it
has also reminded me how fickle human life is and how important it is to live in the
future.
2. There is increased concern about the health and well-being of friends and family.
3. Since this is an unprecedented situation, I am curious as to what lessons the world learns
from this pandemic and how it moves forward.
I have learnt a variety of professional and leisurely skills during the pandemic. As a recreational
activity, I have learnt the art of horticulture. Besides learning water and soil management, I have
also learnt grafting: a form of vegetative propagation involving tissue regeneration.
Professionally, I have learnt a wide range of Palisade plug-ins on Excel, ranging from TopRank
to @Risk etc. These techniques have helped me in improving my modeling skills which would
be critical for my professional career. Moreover, by completing a course on Data Analytics from
Coursea, I now have a holistic understanding of various business metrics that are used by
corporations, and the kind of data that can be used for each metric effectively. This knowledge
will aid me in learning new analytical skills.
This pandemic has been a humbling experience for me personally. As a young man, I felt
indestructible in the sense that I could never imagine that something can happen that will make
my life come to a standstill. However, the pandemic has instilled humility within me, making me
realize that human desires and plans are subject to God’s will. After the pandemic, I would want
to ensure that live each day to the fullest, and that I don’t forget how fickle this life truly is.