It’s the end! I am taking my final on Monday, and this has called for a bunch of studying and reflection. Looking back at the past two terms, I am dedicating this post to the lessons I’ve learned as a remote college student and all that entails.
- It’s not the same. Being on campus, surrounded by peers in classrooms and in the dining hall is really something I never appreciated as much as I should have. It’s a huge part of the college experience. Remote learning is definitely not the same for this aspect, but it’s not impossible either. I think it takes more work! Wellesley implemented much more group work for remote classes, and this definitely helped bring a familiar sense of community to students. I wish I could’ve been on campus and with the Wellesley Community during the time of the 2020 election to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that came with this year’s election. I really loved that Wellesley held virtual sessions for students both on and off-campus to come together during that time.
- The term system is overwhelming. I’ve discussed this in previous posts, but for sake of exhausting my opinion: I really enjoyed the term system in the beginning (the first 3-4 weeks). However, after the first few weeks, the system became very overwhelming. The pandemic has affected students financially, socially, and mentally and pair this with the term system where students have problem sets and readings due every night only makes college even more difficult for students. Students have communicated this to the college, and I believe they’re considering new options for upcoming semesters. Additionally, my Economics course this term was Monday-Thursday from 8:15-9:30 pm. The college decided to add course offerings at strange times for eastern standard time zones to accommodate students in other timezones. It was really strange to have an Economics course at this time. Moving forward for courses with students in diverse time zones, I think courses should stick to recorded lectures and weekly group meetings with the prof, because even with this strange time there were international students logging into class at 1 am their time.
- There’s benefits to remote learning. In a typical semester, I’d be on campus all year taking in-person courses, only able to take weekend trips to neighboring cities. As a remote student this year, I was able to stay with my sister in NYC for 6 weeks, and stay in Miami for the remainder of the semester (enjoying the amazing weather!). For the spring semester, my boyfriend and I are planning on going on a road trip in the states and taking a trip to Latin America while we’re still taking classes virtually. I love being able to take classes from anywhere in the world under the remote system. Being able to take classes while enjoying everything NYC has to offer and catching the sunrise on Miami Beach has been the best part of the remote learning experience.
COVID-19 has certainly changed the college experience, but there are silver linings to everything. It takes a great deal of understanding and adaptability to thrive as a remote student! I think I’ve managed quite well, despite the obstacles it comes with and I am really excited for the adventures to come in the spring semester.
Best,
Lynsey