I am an incoming 2nd year architecture student this academic year 2021-2022 which is going to start on August 9.
Before our classes will start again, I just want to share my own experiences on online classes from last academic year when I was in 1st year college.
Every situation has their pros and cons. This online classes set-up definitely has them. And for this article, I will weigh them.
Let's start with the cons...
CONS
Headaches
From time to time, I experienced mild headaches because of spending so much time in front of the gadgets. And it is also because I lack sleep. There are times where we have loaded schoolworks so I sometimes stay awake until midnight just to finish schoolwork or plates.
Eye Irritation
Just like headaches, I also experience eye irritation from time to time. My eyes would sometimes get itchy or feel dry. I am hundred percent sure that it is due to the radiation of the gadgets. What I do to prevent this is to wear anti radiation glasses. I sometimes forget it though cause I am not that comfortable wearing it especially for a long period of time.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Way back then when we had face to face classes in highschool, I feel like I don't need to exercise that much because I do physical activities regularly. I walk to our paradahan (tricycle's parking lot) to go to school and vice versa when I go home. Also, our school campus is huge so I need to walk more from our school gate towards our room. And when we need to go to the CR or to the canteen, we also need to walk. There's a lot of walking in a day (walking is healthy) and it makes me feel that I am physically active and strong. Now that I'm thinking about it, I suddenly miss walking around our school campus. Face to face classes are very different from this online classes set-up where I spend literally most of my time inside my room, sitting, and doing all the academic activities. Most of the time my ass and back do hurt a lot. 😢
Less Social Interaction
When we still have face to face classes, I regularly do have a social interactions with other people aside from my family. Personally, I feel like I am an ambivert which means that I have a balance of extrovert and introvert features. I love hanging out with people as much as I love spending time alone.
In the case of online classes, I spend time alone for a long time because of plates and schoolworks. I envy students with other courses because they can all meet up, gather, and do schoolworks together. Meanwhile, in architecture, we have a lot of stuff needed to work on our plates. We need drafting table, drafting paper, T-square, different rulers, art materials, and so on. That's why we can't meet up with each other easily. 😭
Now that I mentioned the cons. Let's go with the pros...
PROS
Multitasking
This online classes set-up, I can multitask without a professor scolding me. Turning off the camera and mic are a lifesaver. Raise your hand if you agree! Hahaha. Most of the time, our camera and mic are turn off and our professor is the only one who turns on their camera and mic. But sometimes, there are professors who require us to open our cameras. When we have lessons, especially if it's a minor subject, I mostly turn off my mic and camera. I do other things instead. I sell online, clean my room, eat foods, or do other subject's activities.
I can also take a nap during online classes. Hehe.
Less Pressure on Exam
My friends and I discussed how different it is when taking an exam online versus face to face classes. I don't know if it's just us but online exams or quizzes feel a lot less pressure than face to face classes. When we had our face to face classes especially if the teacher is strict, you would see almost everyone in the classroom or somewhere really focus on studying hard for the upcoming tests. You would feel so pressured. Meanwhile, when it comes to online tests, most of the time I just read through my notes or digital handouts and familiarize them. I don't try to memorize them at all like I did when we had our face to face classes. Online classes in the middle of a pandemic and poor governance often makes my mind so cluttered, and I know that there are others who feel the same. So we don't want to stress ourselves and memorize everything for the tests because we can just take a look at them while taking the test which we can't ever do during face to face classes except if a teacher told us to do so. It is a form of cheating. But I think everyone does that in this online classes set-up.
Inexpensive
We all have different situations. But in my case, online classes set-up costs less than face to face classes. I still vividly remember when I was in senior high school and before I went to college, me and my mother would compute my monthly cost. That would include the dorm, allowance, transportation, and so on. It would cost approximately ₱10,000/$201 per month. And for me and my mother, that's a pretty huge amount already. Compared to the current online classes set-up, the things we need to pay monthly are for the internet and the electric bill, other than necessities.
Closing thought
Online classes are tough. It is not for everyone. And I can say that it is not for me either. But as much as I can, I try my best to do my tasks especially on major subjects because I love my course even though my architectural skills are not that good enough yet.
Despite me whining about online classes most of the time, I can't see myself taking a gap year. I prefer enrolling even if the set-up is online classes because I don't know what to do in a year if I take a gap year. I'm amazed by those who do it.
Those are my online classes experiences through identifying the pros and cons.
Just like me, are you also a student doing online classes? What are your experiences so far? Let me know.
Thank you for reading! ❤️
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Get to know me more on my noise.cash: CrazyRichFilipina
Date Published: August 4, 2021
Mahirap ang online class sa mga classes na need talaga ng laboratory, I hope, this school year our students will cope up with the demands of online class.