Ricalyn L. Fernandez¹, Leny S. Paclibare¹, Camilo N. delos Santos¹, Crisanta L. Baquiran², Romiro G. Bautista^{2, 3,}

Learners were caught unaided and unprepared at the onslaught of the pandemic in 2020 with the new modalities of teaching and learning. This continued during the SY 2020-2021 especially to those who were new in these modalities – the Senior High School students, termed as CoViD babies in their tertiary education, who were accustomed to the residential teaching with their teachers doing most of the discussions. The purpose of this study is to find out the students' educational experiences as they shifted to higher education and how they performed in the new normal in the advent of purely self-paced learning modules and flexible learning modality. Furthermore, the goal of this research is to find out how these learners were able to adapt to new learning modalities. The respondents' experiences and the factors affecting them were determined and evaluated through narrative analysis of the qualitative research design. Based on the findings, the ability of the CoViD babies to complete self-paced learning modules was threatened, they were adapting to the norms of their tertiary education, and they were not ready to go online. Generally, the CoViD babies were surviving, adjusting, and, at the very least, completing their tertiary education. Furthermore, seven of the 15 participants stated that they were passing in varied degrees. The compatibility of their line of studies with their strands in SHS, rush adjustment, internet connectivity, and interaction with their teachers were the identified factors that affect their tertiary education.

flexible learning, new normal, online education, pandemic education, CoViD Babies