Nobody expected the appearance of a global pandemic during this time, and I don’t think our school systems were either. The sudden switch to a completely online curriculum has caught some people off the back of their feet. In my personal opinion, I feel quite a few of my professors definitely seem stronger giving lectures and assignments in person. I want to give you my personal feelings towards the whole online system and some words of advice that will hopefully help you in your own journey in college.
My most favorite part of online school is that the test-taking structure feels way more relaxed. Personally, I think being able to be sitting in your most comfortable chair, with a snack on your side, and a calm homely room feels way better than a no-bullshit type testing environment. Some of my professors allow us to use our notes for our exams which I think is an added benefit of the testing situation for students at home. I think you’re going to love the testing at-home environment as well, it totally dampened the feeling of stress for me.
Class structure at least at my school also feels a lot more free than what I’ve heard from others who have attended during pre-COVID times. Most of my classes are spread quite evenly over the week and have lots of time between each class. I find myself being able to work on other projects or just simply relaxing between each class frequently. I’ll usually read a book, be helping my parents at work, or even maybe chatting with friends during this time, something I find quite enjoyable. It sure beats rushing from class to class in a span of five minutes back in high school. Everytime I get to class, I feel ready to start. I think this is something you will enjoy yourself.
However, this does not mean you should procrastinate more. Refrain from using these times to literally study four weeks of material. Make sure you prepare appropriately for your test. If your next class has a class and you have something like two-three hours of break, spend a quarter of that time reviewing your notes. Go do something else that isn’t related to your coursework afterwards. Trust me, it will help your test scores tremendously.
Another thing I want to cover is stay honest with yourself. Just because you now don’t have a professor or proctor looking over your shoulder doesn’t mean you should constantly interact with others on your work. Understanding the content by yourself will help you considerably. Being able to solve problems and explain concepts by yourself will help you considerably in your course. Interacting with others may just bandage a couple of holes here and there, but will hardly ever help you understand the whole topic.