College students today are given the choice of hybrid learning, meaning half online and half in person, or to be one hundred percent online. Other schools went one hundred percent online. There are some pros about online learning and there are cons about online learning.
Last semester, I did not enjoy online learning only because everything last semester happened at once due to COVID-19. I am also a Studio Arts major, so doing my art classes online was not how I envisioned finishing my semester. I had to make my projects and upload them onto Padlet. It’s a website similar to Pinterest and you upload your artwork and it can be class oriented and your class can view and comment on your work. However, this semester, I have gotten comfortable working from my apartment.
The pros of doing your school work online is that you can be comfy in your own home or apartment. You can wear your PJs and work on school work. You don’t have to worry about waking up much earlier than your class to get ready. You have easy access to your kitchen to grab some snacks. You don’t even have to walk far to go to the bathroom. For those who are more introverted, they tend to enjoy the social distance and not being physically in a class.
The cons about online learning may outweigh the pros. The cons about online learning is you don’t get exactly the same interactions with the class and professor as you would in person. Especially coming from personal experience, for art classes and for labs you don’t have someone who can be hands on with you to help with a project. You don’t have as much social interaction with students like you would in person. As an extrovert, I miss the full social interaction. Wifi is not always your best friend, and sometimes it can go out during a zoom meeting and you won’t get the whole lecture.
Sometimes with online classes it is hard to understand what exactly the professor is looking for. That is why communication is a huge key in the online school world. I have learned to not be afraid to be in contact with your professors. They are always there to help you and guide you.