Online class, truly a demanding lover

 There’s no denying that 2020 has been such a bad year for everyone where a smile turns into a grimace and a relatively happy day turns sour. When you think that things could not get worse, it actually does. School, in particular, has become very taxing, and that the level of education that is “learnt” in a digital fashion is not up to par when you are inside a classroom, and I’m pretty sure most of us agree with that contention.

I miss having to be inside a university classroom where I can actually participate in education endeavours particularly when my teachers call for someone to recite or report a topic, where I am able to discuss with my friends about the topics in class or just to gossip, and whatnot. I also miss the school events, the long seminars, the wacky interactions with fellow classmates, the OG Political Science instructors and so much more.

What we thought was going to be a few weeks inside the comforts of our home was prolonged into months, very exhausting months in quarantine. With the fear of being infected and with no apparent vaccine in sight, that’s the only thing we do, unfortunately.

Anyways, going back to the subject of school. Online classes, in a sense, is a very demanding lover. Where it’s a relationship that requires a learning phase. Let’s put it this way, a relationship can be very daunting, right? It’s the same with digital lectures. The first few weeks, you’re definitely into it but there are instances where it feels awkward and intimidating, and while most think that it’s fine because you’re simply easing into it, it doesn’t remove the fact that it really takes a lot from you.

Online classes also demand constant attention. You want to appease it, so you get to work and finish the modules to make it happy. But then you’re burdened with low internet connection as well as the frequent mismanagement of your time because, if you’re like me, depression and anxiety is being exacerbated from long periods of time staying indoors, eyes stuck on a monitor. Digital classes definitely do not appreciate being put on the backburner, and they retaliate like a jilted lover would, giving you a grade (read: in a relationship, probably a slap to the face or something that angry couples do) that either makes you cry, cringe or both.

Well, enough of the relationship metaphors. All that I am saying here is that while online classes are a truly advantageous platform for education in the time of pandemic, as it is rather convenient for some people,  it is so much more stressful than coming inside a classroom and it’s not as convenient as it appears ── low internet connectivity, slow running gadgets and other technical difficulties. As far as I know, both teachers and students are physically, emotionally, and mentally drained from this whole crap-storm.

In order to distract myself from everything, of the events narrated in television of the ineptitude of the government towards the COVID-19 response and the utter idiocy of some people thinking that they’re highly educated social media experts, I go out and walk with my dog to feel a sense normalcy, buying junk food and colas to ease my stress levels.

I have also come to the appreciation of studying properly after how severely I flopped in certain subjects in the midterms last semester (read: I studied for 4 hours for Civil Law 1 and got 98/100, I spent about 3 hours in Criminal Law 1 to get 60/100. Earnestly doing this got me good grades in the finals.) And while I strived to do the same in the current term, my mental health couldn’t keep up. I just think that people need to understand that this is not easy and that you’re not exactly retaining the information that’s being shared when it comes to reading and writing it down on your own. Sure, people have different forms of learning, but it is so much better when person, particularly an instructor, is there to guide you in the learning process. Alas, they cannot be there because they too are having a hard time.

Overall, I think that the pandemic bought upon a lot of realization with certain things, for school and its transition to digital learning, it is a lot more tiring and that people are less privileged are definitely suffering so much more from it. Modular learning and whatnot are not all its cracked up to be, I sincerely want the high-ups in the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to recognize that there should be an academic compromise. As for the social ills that are now obvious to everyone, civic participation is a thing and I hope they find it themselves to move away from archaic and false belief when it comes to good governance and social accountability of public servants (read: vote in the 2022 elections.) Lastly, people should be able to prioritize their own health in these trying times, it is not wrong take care of yourself and if buying clothes or food makes you feel a little better, you should. We all need some tender love and care to get us through.