Online Classes (Zoom University)

 Here we are, the year 2020, a year full of the craziest moments in history and probably one of the most memorable parts of it would be the huge shift to online learning. The whole in-person to online learning occurred last year in March of 2019 for me. I still remember the semester was almost over and we were all enjoying spring break. I recall catching that new Sonic movie that came out with my friends for my birthday. The next thing I knew everything began closing heavily.

Now, after another event filled summer, we are back to another new school year. A year many of the younger generation are calling "Zoom University." Reflecting on all of this, I feel like this may be they way things are going to be for a while now. Surprisingly this is my last school year for didactic lectures before I begin rounds in the hospital and retail setting so I'm trying to enjoy every moment of this and create as much random Zoom memes as possible to keep myself and others positive.

Benefits: Despite no longer having to drive to class, some noticeable benefits can also be valuing physical conversation more deeply and learning to once again appreciate the presence of others in our lives. Luckily, the semester hasn't gotten too intense with the amount of school work so I have time to enjoy this feeling. Increased sleep time has been another benefit due to not having to rush to class and decreased distractions because I noticed I spend majority of my time in my dorm room. I find myself more creative with my time searching online and drawing/writing some ideas that pop into my head. An interesting skill I've been working on is discipline by writing all my lecture notes for school by hand. Picking up food has been less of a worry too because I usually prefer to eat by myself so social distancing during that time isn't any issue. I've built somewhat of a working exercise routine at home and would sparingly find time to go to my gym to work on intense muscle building or weight loss. All of these I found essential towards success. Also I feel like I'm not missing out that much on social media due to all the social distancing. I find myself more present and feel like I have better control of my emotions.

Disadvantages: Everything has its caveats and online classes or a term used before the pandemic: homeschooling, is no exception to this. One problem I find is remembering to download all my lectures before class. Sometimes there are just so much files online that I lose track of certain things. It is easy to not know when to take a break since I've been spending majority of my time literally seated for hours. Time spent on social media or watching shows in my bedroom can also last hours. I've had to build systems to keep myself not hitting the snooze button or going back to bed when I wake up. One solution I've been using was placing my phone in the restroom. Motivation is a challenge, my dorm room doesn't have any air conditioner and when you live in a tropical climate that especially heats up in the late afternoon you will need a lot more discipline to keep going. I somewhat miss seeing faces and classmates and professors somewhat there was a sense of commradery having everyone around. My biggest problem with online classes is knowing when to sleep. I find myself working long hours not wanting to stop honestly and this can be to my detriment the following morning as I try to muster up the willpower to keep working.

School in general is not easy and it always has its challenges so it's important to recognize all of these and utilize them to get the most out of your learning. I wish you the best of luck in your classes this school year👍