Written by: Allen Atienza
Photo by: Niña Eblamo
Online classes have been implemented consistently by the UST Community for quite a few years now, and it has been emphasized more than ever due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine. It has been almost two weeks since its full implementation. The goal is to monitor the learning pace of the students, so that the students will not be pressured by time, schedule, and most of all, the students have a chance to recover if they fail to meet requirements.
The feedback on online classes is mixed, but it mostly pertains to a certain negative: requirements are more prioritized than a comfortable learning pace. Why is it so?
We, students, are required to send an activity within a certain amount of time. Although this gives us a sense of responsibility, these simultaneously set deadlines cause stress. This can make it hard for us to absorb information, and can even lower our motivation to study.
Besides motivational problems, students are also finding difficulty in adjusting their study habits, since most of the learning experiences are done in a classroom setting. Major subjects specialize in the specific career that a student is pursuing. For this purpose, major subjects are normally done face to face, in order to achieve a more hands-on experience. Thus, it is hard to study online, especially if students don’t live in a pro-learning environment.
Not being in the usual learning setup is the only concern, as many of us have to deal with our respective homes and its circumstances. This leads us to play a different role than what they normally do “pre-quarantine”. The availability of resources and manpower in the house, give students more things to deal with.
Students have left several important items back in their dorms. Items like calculators, or notes that are more useful to us than any book. The personal things we felt like would help us learn more comfortably are unavailable. Although some are in better circumstances, these can still affect academic performance.
The point is that we are not all too thrilled by online classes, because it stems from our fear of not being able to acquire knowledge. And it is fine to feel that way. It shows that we are eager to study, and we want to make progress. Sometimes, it feels like online classes are just making us work for nothing. We worry about our situations, and now we have to worry about our education as well. So it is a need to feel ensured during these times of uncertainty.
However, these concerns aren’t put to waste by the professors. The Faculty of Engineering have also been observing our performance so far. They make decisions on what they think won’t overwork us. As of now, only a maximum of three (3) gradable assessments can be given (excluding activities before ECQ), and the professors are more considerate in grading us. Professors even occasionally check up on our overall health and present capability. They try to be online most of the time in order to answer any questions that we might want to ask. We can also ask for a reasonable extension on deadlines. Professors have given their time to prepare online lectures in the most convenient way they can.
It has been two weeks since online classes started and there are two weeks left until it ends. Our concerns as students are real. The efforts of the faculty to solve the problems are real. The only thing left to do for both sides is to deal with it in the best way that we can: together. We don’t have to keep our concerns to ourselves, and we don’t have to be shy in asking others if they need help. If we want to make the best out of our online classes, we shouldn’t hold back from trying to reach out, sharing our concerns, and helping whenever we are able.
No student will be left behind.
We will make it. God bless us all!
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