Since we all had the wonderful experience of having 8 weeks worth of classes on Zoom last semester, let's hope that we don't have to again in the fall. As of right now, OU plans on having all classes with 40 or more people to be online — which is no help to me because all of mine are small anyways. But hopefully, whether your classes are online or not, that you get the OU experience that you wanted, even though it might not be the best time. Keep your head up ya'll!
1. How there is a place for everyone on campus
No matter what your interests are, you can find a club or organization to meet new friends and you will definitely find your place on campus whenever it re-opens.
2. Most professors prefer teaching on campus versus online
Last semester around spring break when all the universities announced that we would have online classes for the last 8 weeks, some of my professors were so unenthusiastic about it. I would say that science and math classes should definitely not be online classes at all because it takes so much longer to learn the content when you're doing it all yourself.
3. You'll never know the struggle of where to eat on campus before everything closes in the afternoon
This was such a big struggle when I lived on campus. And since I live off-campus now, I bring my own lunch from home so I don't even have to fool with the lines anymore.
4. You'll never have to deal with the annoying parking situation
Commuter parking on campus is by far the worst thing ever. Or if you find a parking spot you have to walk so far. Housing parking doesn't have to worry about parking but at the same time they also get most of the parking spaces in the garages.
5. How to find the best study spots
Every semester I kind of change up my study spots around on campus, whether that's in coffee shops on campus corner, the library, the student union, or any other little hiding place I find. I'm definitely more productive studying at school versus when I take my homework home with me because I always find the distractions.
6. Someone telling you about their experiences on campus are different than your experiences
We've all been there when we know a friend or an upperclassman who we ask questions to or ask for advice. Everyone has different experiences in college and it's increasingly harder if we have zoom classes because then none of us are really getting the true "college experience" as we all anticipated.
7. Certain classes will definitely be harder than others ... even on Zoom
Like it's a given fact that all the music, art, science, or math classes will be almost impossible to do online because they quite literally need to be all in-person classes.
8. During a normal semester, it's so helpful to go to a professor's office hours but that's impossible over Zoom
Usually when I need extra help in a class or I have questions for a professor, I love having the chance to go to their office hours because it honestly has saved so many of my grades. As I experienced last semester with Zoom classes, all of the communication was online and that made it a little bit harder.
9. OU loves to have discussion classes/collaborations
Discussion classes are so awkward on Zoom. But when they're in-person classes, the classmates and the brainstorms that come out of it is so helpful when you're learning a new subject. With Zoom discussions, it's hard for a professor to make anyone actually participate or answer the questions being asked and it's also difficult to see when someone wants to add to an idea or answer.
10. You'll never understand waiting in lines on campus
Whether it's for food in the student union, waiting in line for the bathrooms in Dale Hall, waiting to check out in the OU bookstore, or anything else — if Zoom classes are online you'll never have to wait on lines. You'll never have to figure out how to ration your meal points.
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