Welcome back, Ramblers! (Well, sort of.) The fall 2020 semester has officially begun, and we have some… thoughts.
Ellie:
A week of online classes has already gone by, but unfortunately I still don’t feel fully invested in the school year yet. The weather in Chicago is hot, and without having really stepped foot in a campus building, I still feel like it’s summer! Adding to this feeling of academic disinterest is my first impression of online classes as being slightly boring. They definitely feel more relaxed than any of my in-person classes have felt in the past, which I appreciate mostly because it means I don’t have to spend extra time putting together an outfit or doing a full face of makeup in the morning. However, a small part of me misses the routine of finding what room my class is in and getting to see some new faces on campus. What’s comforting me amidst the feelings of uneasiness is knowing that everyone is making the online transition together, so we most likely all share a similar sentiment of reluctancy going into the school year.
Surprisingly, a lot of my classes don’t meet every day. This is great for when I need extra time to get work done, but terrible for that small part of my brain that thrives off of procrastination. So, I’ve come to the conclusion that semester I will have to work a little harder at self motivating.
Fortunately, I have Amanda as my Co-Campus Correspondent to make sure that I keep on track with all of our Her Campus related responsibilities, so hopefully this accountability will lend itself to my coursework as well.
Overall, I would say that online classes are underwhelming, but they are doable. Although so much has changed in the last few months, one thing is for sure; I’m going to do my best to keep a positive attitude no matter what online classes throw at me.
Amanda:
I’m sorry, you said what? The first week of classes is already over? I’m definitely with Ellie in that I don’t feel fully invested yet. Without physically walking to and from class and interacting with classmates and professors in the classroom, it honestly doesn’t even feel much like school. Logically, I know I’m attending class, but when it comes time to do homework, I can’t seem to convince myself that the semester has indeed started and I do indeed have deadlines. Since I’m not walking to classes, I’ve also had to make much more of a conscious effort to leave my apartment, which has recently involved a Target or coffee run. Let’s just say my wallet is not happy with me right now.
Another strange thing about this virtual semester is that many of my classes aren’t meeting every day. This means I have a lot more time to do work, but it also means I have to be very self-driven to get things done. However, I’ve also come across the issue of professors using a day that we’re not meeting to assign more work than we would do if we were in the classroom.
The good news is we’re all basically in the same boat here. This is certainly not the semester anyone anticipated, and it’s going to be a learning experience for us all. Like Ellie, I’m planning on keeping a positive attitude and just trying my best with whatever this semester throws at me!
Looking for a creative outlet in the crazy semester? Join Her Campus at LUC! Email hc.luc@hercampus.com for more info.