Comparing On-Campus to Online Learning
To switch from in-person instruction to finishing the program online has been quite the experience. I am not sure if I would necessarily sign up for it as I can see why being in person has its benefits. However, I think what has helped is that I have previously interacted with all the students in my final class so going to class online was not as difficult as it would be if I had started the program online. However, it does not mean that it makes the experience that much easier; what it means is that you simply find a way to make it work.
It made me miss everyone which I am not sure I would say beforehand not because I did not like anyone but because it was taken for granted to be in the same room. Now the only way I connect, the way any of us can connect, is through a computer screen. This semester has given me a completely new appreciation for in-class learning. Now I appreciate the chance to sit in a classroom and be able to look to my left or right and see a classmate.
To now be online all the time has made the experience unique. Unique because adaption is even greater in a time like this. And to be able to adapt is key when figuring out how to make it work and still treat it like in-class time when it can easily not be.
I feel like this is the kind of experience that gives you the chance to see just how much you really want to learn something. It is a chance to understand what learning style works for you and why. For me, I am someone who prefers in-classroom learning because it is what I know and because there is something about the physical that online cannot do. The only thing I have liked about this entire experience online is the convenience of being able to be in class instantly instead of a commute. Other than that, in-class is so much better.
One other thing I liked about the online experience is getting a better idea as to who my peers are and my professors. To get a peek into their homes and better understand as to who they are as people has made me feel closer to them in a way. It is a reminder that they too are people. As my final semester wraps up, it is odd to think this is how it ends, online. However, if this entire experience has taught me anything, and it has, is too appreciate the moment because you never know what the next moment will bring.
