The Struggles Of Online Learning

It is now official that the rest of the spring semester will be done online...along with summer semester following.

On a normal day I would be boasting with happiness about not using as much gas or being able to post on a discussion board and call it a day. However, this is different. A week before we were gone for spring break I think a lot of us already had some kind feeling that we would not be coming back to our unassigned assigned seats anymore. Even though there was that feeling, all we could do was stay positive and hope for the best. Unfortunately, things turned for the worst.

Online learning is not for everyone. I repeat: Online learning is not for everyone.

I may not show it but I enjoy coming to class, I enjoy having that time to socialize with my classmates. While we may not all be BFFs in class, we have come to know each other over the course of the semester so well, that we notice when people are absent. Personally, I feel more motivated to come to class when I know I have a teacher who engages with the class on a professional and personal manner. I feel more inclined to participate if classes are happening face to face.

One of the major struggles I have encountered with online classes is that not all professors are equipped to teach online classes, and I am aware that is not their fault. This was all thrown at us and now we just have to learn how to make the best of it. Even though it may take some getting used to, I have already gotten into the grove of things when it comes to using Zoom. One of my professors breaks us up into breakout room which lets us have discussions with out classmates in groups of about four or five; this really help us to feel like we are having our usual classroom discussions.

We are all taking this as it comes and we are not the only people struggling with this new adjustment. All we can do it hope for the best so that things get better in the upcoming months.