Perks of Online Classes
I am a college student at The University of Texas at Austin studying Advertising. Due to the current conditions with COVID19, my Spring 2020 semester has been transferred to all online classes. This is happening to schools worldwide, of course. Many schools and businesses, including UT, are using Zoom to have class virtually/
I just finished my first week of online classes. Of course I would prefer my classes to be in person because 3/4 of my classes are group project & presentation based. However, I have found PERKS from taking my college courses virtually.
Wake Up Right Before Class
One of my favorite things about classes being online, is that i can maximize my “sleep before class.” I am not saying it is a good thing to wake up two minutes until your Zoom lecture starts, but I am saying it is a privilege courtesy of online classes. No more mile walks to class for me the rest of the semester!
Grab Food Before Class
I am always hungry in class. I used to have to time my pit stops to grab Starbucks or Potbelly before lecture, however, now I can grab my coffee and food a few steps away from the “classroom.” Plus, I can eat in class… this is something I am definitely taking advantage of right now.
More Mentally Present
I thought I would be more of a ~ head in the clouds ~ type of online learner. However, since I now only have the time of my Zoom lectures in each of my classes, it has made me more mentally present.
When I would go to class in person, I was notorious for zoning out during lectures, scrolling through Instagram, or even online shopping. Now that I have all the time in the world for all of the above, it has made me actually focus in my classes.
I know that the only way I can truly learn now, is if I pay attention and engage in the class. Whereas before I would just “check the box” of going to class whether I was mentally there or not.
Schoolwork Seems More Interesting
I am not sure about anyone else, but now that my entire life is between the walls of my house, schoolwork is a lot more intriguing. It gives me something to do during #quarantine.
I also am not taking for granted the privilege of education right now. This leads to me being more interested in the material that we are learning.
More Dialogue Between Classmates
Now that everything is virtual, I for one know my classmates names now thanks to Zoom. Plus, I feel like we are a lot more talkative as a whole. We are all able to bond over the fact we have no idea what is going on right now. Plus, it is our only time to engage with each other and our Professor. So, I love that I am getting to talk to and learn more about my classmates.
Academic Empathy
I think a great quality about UT Austin Professors right now, is that there is a lot of academic empathy. Given UT’s prestige and competitive nature, coursework is always challenging. However, given these unprecedented times, professors are being extremely empathetic.
Not only did UT decide to allow students to take their classes Pass/Fail, but all of my professors have clearly told all of us to reach out if we need anything. Plus, some of my classes don’t have a final exam anymore…SCORE!
Human Connection
I think one of my favorite things about this pandemic as a whole, is the human connection. We are all realizing just how interconnected our entire world is. Seriously.
Even though we are farther apart than normal (social distancing), we are more connected than ever in my opinion. I think we are having more conversations with substance than just surface level. I also think the empathy of hard times that we are all enduring is bringing us closer together as mankind.
