What Students Are Really Thinking During Online Classes | Sneha Jha

Online Classes

‘Online Classes’

‘Good Morning Sir! Hello… Am I audible?’

‘Is my camera working?… Can you see me now sir? Oh. Ok’

‘Ugh! Not again. Sorry sir, I have a poor internet connection. I will rejoin in a minute.’

This is my daily routine. And those are the phrases I repeat every morning during my online classes. I just don’t feel comfortable studying online in front of a laptop/mobile.

Truth is, I grew up studying in an old-fashioned education system. From my early playgroup days, I was taught on the whiteboard with markers and on a blackboard with chalk. And all of a sudden my studies rely on computers and on PowerPoint.

I was puzzled on the first day I heard about online classes. I wondered how this would even work. Then in no time, I was in my room with my laptop, studying.

Instead of being in my classroom wearing college dress, chattering with my friends, here I was, alone looking at an electronic gadget. It felt like I have come across a new phase of learning where I shall never adapt myself.

What I hate about online classes is, it’s unpredictable. If the power cuts in my house, I miss the class. And if the teacher’s power gets cut, the entire class is interrupted.

Also, the internet bandwidth in Nepal isn’t favorable for online classes. We never know when the internet goes or gets lagged. I have to stick close to the router, to not get glitches on the teacher’s voice during my lectures.

Sometimes, my battery dies. Sometimes, there are unwanted disturbances from the kitchen. It’s a big hassle for me to make a successful online class every single day.

Like, a few weeks back, I was badly scolded in between my online class. It wasn’t my fault actually, but it felt like mine.

What had happened was, my teacher specifically asked me a question. I unmuted myself and said my answers aloud.

But he didn’t hear a word from me. Can you imagine the situation I was stuck at? He was continuously calling me and I was yelling ‘Yes sir’ every single time. Yet, he couldn’t hear me.

After multiple times of him calling and me yelling back, he stopped suddenly as he didn’t hear a word back from me. He might have felt disrespected, suspected my absence, and hopelessly continued with the class.

I, on the other side, was frustrated with both my internet and the laptop for not working at the very moment. To test, if it was working or not, I played music on my mobile and unmuted myself again.

Gosh! The music was heard loud and you can imagine my teacher bursting at me. ‘Stop, disturbing the class’, he shouted at me. ‘Turn off the damn music.’

I muted myself hurriedly.

Within another 10 seconds, he scolded me again for not obeying him. I check my microphone. I had muted myself already but somehow the music was still heard. How was that possible? God, know-how.

I felt flustered about what to do next and left the class in middle. I felt embarrassed at myself.

Later that day, I was informed to write an apology letter to the teacher for my behavior. I wrote one but I felt mistreated because of my technological error.

But, I couldn’t blame my teacher. I being a Gen-Z person struggled to accommodate the drastic change in my learning method, then I can imagine how hard it must be for the teachers to be complying with the new teaching process.

These online classes rely on the hands of technology and if they have errors in themselves, you have to bear the embarrassment even without you wanting it.

Contrary to that, online classes are the modern forms of the educational system.

During my class, I keep on imagining students from the next 3 decades submitting their assignments online.

Boy, that sounds amazing! Rather than filling the copies and trying to improve handwriting, we would be focusing more on increasing our typing speed.

I feel like being in that generation in the present time as I find myself focused on typing rather than working on improving handwriting.

The same girl who was examined on the basis of total sheets of paper is being taught using PowerPoint slides. How cool’s that? That’s the perk of online classes.

I still remember myself struggling to keep up with these new changes in my studies. My complaint to the teacher used to be, you teach superfast at online classes, can we slow down a little bit?

Personally, I wasn’t ready for this type of online class, maybe neither was any student.

We belong to that generation where we’re restricted from using gadgets. Now, I am scolded for skipping my online classes.

Look at the power that time beholds. The gadgets we’re once not allowed to use have become crucial tools during this pandemic.

By far, I am slowly getting the hang of online classes and I am happy with what it has to give us. The classes are getting more interactive. I get to read, record my classes and re-watch what I missed or didn’t understand.

As it’s online, the commuting time is saved. Even though I attend classes back to back, I find time for work, family, and myself. That’s the charisma of studying online.

Another perk of online classes is I needn’t wake up super early and drive to college. I can make myself comfortable in bed or on the table and still study. Sometimes, I drink tea, eat breakfast, multi-task and still continue my classes.

Webinars, online seminars, and guest lectures get me excited. All these are applicable only in online classes. I have got the chance to interact with national and international experts and guest lecturers on various issues in my virtual classes. It’s easy for them as well to join online rather than scheduling time for their physical presence.

But online classes have one flaw. Students are easily distracted during online classes. We don’t always like to study right? Let’s keep it real, most of us don’t. As there is no way our teacher’s going to find out whether we’re paying attention or not, we get drained in the internet world in the middle of the class.

I have found myself sneaking off to some other apps while the class’s going on. Whether it is to chat, play games, or just mindlessly scrolling through the news feed, I individually fall under this category of students.

Can I tell you one secret? I wrote this article in one of my online classes.

What I personally feel about these online classes is, Nepal has a long journey to cross to effectively conduct online classes. But both students and teachers can work from their sides to make online classes worth relying upon as an alternative form of physical classes.

 

Photo by Sam Lion

 

Read More From Sneha Jha:

How does it feel to be a K-Pop fan in Nepal?

 

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Sneha Jha is affiliated with blogging sites like Offline thinker as the art of writing intrigues her. She believes that words have power and public speaking is challenging which is the reason why she is also a public speaker. She loves spelling out her thoughts and interacting with others. She is one of the people who loves challenging herself with new opportunities and ventures and learning a lot through it. She has converted her passion into a profession due to which she loves every second of her work. She is an easy-going person and the simplest of things can make her happy.

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