Author: batman

Learning From Home? More Like Learning From Bed.

I have a love-hate relationship with online classes. In high school when online classes were mandatory instead of optional, I told myself I would never take an online class if I wasn’t forced to. Well, turns out when I got to college, one of the classes I was eager to take was offered only online. I decided to take the leap and take the class. I absolutely loved it. I loved not having to get out of bed for class, I loved not having to sit in uncomfortable chairs for two hours, and I loved the self-guided nature of the class. Being able to direct my education in a way that I didn’t even know was offered was freeing and made me feel like a real “adult.” For me, the biggest benefit to being in an online class was that I was earning the same number of credits as an in person class offers, but I had more time to be social and attend events than I would have if the class were in-person.

However, online classes are not for the weak. They take discipline and proactivity. For people who struggle to stay on track and be proactive, some online classes might be extremely overwhelming. The key to thriving, or just passing, in an online class is a combination of your professor’s willingness to answer questions effectively and efficiently, and your time management skills.. The main downside to online classes is that you don’t usually get any face to face time with the professor meaning that most of the interactions take place via Email. I happened to have a very attentive professor who would answer questions at almost any time of day within minutes. Overall, if you can manage your time and have good communication with your professor, online classes are extremely beneficial!



Alone but Not

Dealing with my stress has never been something I was very good at. Compared to high school, I find myself more stressed in certain departments in college. In high school, it was easy to stay on top of things because there was less freedom. All I did from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. was school because that was all there was to do. Now that my schedule is more spread out and I find myself with more freedom, it’s hard to manage my time properly, especially because I am a procrastinator. I’m very afraid of falling behind and I feel like with my struggle with managing my time properly, it’s almost inevitable and that stresses me beyond belief. This struggle with my procrastination is one I have always faced but never at the magnitude I’ve experienced lately.

Going along with school stress is my stress when it comes to my social life. By nature, I’m an anxious person, and meeting new people has always been a bit difficult for me. The idea of missing out on all the fun and social aspects of college makes me sad and stressed. Another social stressor is being so far away from my family and friends. I have always relied on my family and friends for help when I’m not in a good frame of mind and I feel like that distance has made it difficult for me to rely on them the way I used to to the point where I considered dropping out and moving back home. Every day I feel like the stress is multiplying and building on itself and although I know there are good resources for this, I still feel completely alone in my stress a lot of the time despite knowing that many people are feeling the same way I am. 

Source: https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-stress-image16302298

Sticking It Out

I’ve never been outwardly proud of myself. I strive for perfection, or at least as close to perfection as I can get. From the moment I arrived at campus, I was terrified. Will I be good enough? Will I be able to survive? Will I make friends? Despite all of my fears, I am sticking it out. I am so proud of myself for staying, and I would be lying if I said there hadn’t been multiple times that I seriously contemplated giving up and going home. Being someone who has always wanted to be perfect is a blessing and a curse, it pushes me to work harder but also means I have a difficult time giving myself a break and being proud of what I’ve accomplished. College has forced me to realize that acknowledging my accomplishments and being proud of myself for them is just as important as the accomplishments themselves. 

Another reason I am proud of myself is the way I have handled being so far away from home. I grew up in an extremely tight-knit family and knew that I would struggle being away from them. And I did. In fact, for the first few weeks of living on campus, I called my mom at least 3 times a day and told her how much I just wanted to go home and felt like I didn’t belong here. With much convincing, I chose to stick it out. I am incredibly proud of myself for not only staying but focusing on myself and finding the balance between making time for my academic obligations as well as my personal needs and wants. All of these accomplishments would have gone unrecognized by the younger me, but since coming to college, I have learned that my accomplishments are worth pride and recognition.