Editorial | Eight perks of ‘Zoom University’
Photo illustration by SAM ANDRUS, Photo Editor
In our last editorial we discussed how difficult online class can be; how mind-melting it is to stare at a screen all day and how all of it takes a toll on the mental health of students and professors alike.
During 2020 there have been many things we’ve learned to accept, including wearing masks and staying six feet away from college friends we’ve missed all summer. Though we may not want to, it’s our reality. Online classes are no different – while there is still a pandemic, we have to get comfortable with working from home.
But hey, chances are we have all thought of some elements of online learning that are more advantageous than in-person instruction. We don’t need to feel guilty because we enjoy wearing pajamas to school; that was our five-year-old selves’ dream.
While Zoom can be exhausting and we’d all rather be strolling through campus and chatting with friends in a real classroom, we’ve compiled a list of the top eight phenomena that bring some joy to “Zoom University.”
Late Sleepers: There’s some of us who thrive on waking up 15 minutes before class starts, sprinting across campus and feeling an adrenaline rush when you just barely slip into class on time, coffee stains on your shirt and sweat on your brow. Some of us will wake up late and not even go to class because it’s not worth the morning jog, and we’d much rather sit in bed with a warm cup of coffee or just go back to sleep. But Zoom allows us to wake up two minutes before class starts, log in, put ourselves on mute to make a quick cup of coffee, then get right back into bed for some learning.
The Power of Airpods: Let’s get personal – we all know the struggle that when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. Now you can leave in your Airpods and listen to class on your bathroom breaks. Just, please, make sure you are muted.
Multitaskers Unite: Zoom classes are a multitaskers’ dream. You can have one window open for today’s class, one for yesterday’s work, one for COVID-19 news updates and one for some online shopping because, let’s face the truth, we might need to let our minds wander from a three-hour digital lecture.
Comfort Animals: What’s better than being able to take your pet to school? Literally nothing.
Wine: We don’t condone drinking during class, and certainly not underage drinking. That being said, students who are 21 or older might find it’s nice to have a candle-lit dinner for one with a glass of red, while listening to the soothing sounds of an online lecture.
Zoom Malfunctions: Our long days of classes on Zoom can become grueling, but we can always count on some comedic support from technical malfunctions from our professors and fellow students. Though Zoom operations have been much smoother than last semester, we are always going to be dealing with unavoidable difficulties. It’s entertaining sitting in awkward silence while someone figures out how to stream a video, completely freezes or just disappears off the call altogether, resulting in a confused sea of faces.
Road Trip: All you need is a hotspot and a dream and you can pretty much take school wherever you want.
It’s like a Podcast: You can turn your camera off – if your professor allows it – and hop in the shower listening to a lecture. You can make dinner, do your laundry, vacuum the floors, wash the dishes, book a flight for 2022, become TikTok famous. Let’s get creative. We all know we could use the excitement.
Are we trying to say the pros of remote instruction outweigh the benefits? No. Are we saying you should half-listen to your lectures and not participate in class now that you have freedom at home? Not one bit. Though we might feel like we’re turning into the little girl from “Poltergeist,” slowly becoming possessed by a screen, we have to remember it’s OK to relish in the enjoyable aspects of online education. Especially when the standard rate of our over $50,000-a-year tuition won’t be reduced, the least we can do is acknowledge that some of this can be fun.