Now that the Fall 2020 quarter has come to an end, I’ve had some time to digest how my second quarter of online college has gone. To sum it up into simple terms, it was rough.
It’s been a given that distance learning has been a complete mess and has been highly unmotivating for many students. Since the beginning of quarantine, I’ve felt mentally exhausted trying to keep up with the hundreds of things going on at once in the world, alongside being in isolation and stuck at home. Thus, my classes were usually the last thing on my mind and, at times, I often forgot that I was still in school. I went into my fall quarter with high hopes, thinking that it wouldn’t be too bad, but instead, my motivation lessened with each day that passed.
The main thing that I have taken away from this virtual learning experience is learning to have better time management. Most of the work I was given during this quarter was very independent based, and I had to figure out my own schedule to complete my assignments. As someone who gets easily distracted by the smallest things, I found myself not really paying attention or really grasping any material learning through a screen. It felt as if I was just simply turning in an assignment that I didn’t even fully comprehend.
Thankfully, I was provided with some of the best and most understanding professors for this quarter who genuinely cared for each and every one of their students’ well-being. Each, except one, professor had weekly check-up emails and consistently reassured us that they understand that online classes are not the best and sympathized with us. On the other hand, some professors see this as an opportunity to increase the workload for students which really shows how inconsiderate some teachers are. Having caring and flexible professors during the midst of this pandemic has been helpful and the main encouraging factor for me that led me to be able to finish this quarter strong.
