Struggles of Online Learning

With the whole semester being taken online on the orders of the LUMS Admin, students have come across issues they never imagined before

Frustrated? Exhausted? Bones started cracking yet? Lost your motivation and questioning your decision to pay the hefty fee to watch online lectures? At this point, I just want to tell you that you aren’t alone in this struggle and it is dragging back even the best of us.

“It’s just an extra week of holiday, see you by the start of April”

This commonly spoken phrase amongst the LUMS Student Body slowly turned into the biggest joke for the students themselves and the bitter truth is that the chances of returning to the campus are getting slim day by day. By the end of the second week of the new online semester, most of us can agree this hasn’t panned out the way we expected it, and there are some major struggles we weren’t accustomed to. I’ve decided to share my troubles which others may relate to and offer advice as to how to overcome the situation at hand.

1. Classrooms were a blessing in disguise

Never thought I would end up saying this, but the classroom environment is a BLESSING! Who would have thought that despite the liberty of waking up a minute before class, munching down food, and using social media during the lectures with no fear of being caught, this freedom isn’t what we all sought? Not sure about the rest, but when it comes to online classes, the first and foremost issue is the courage needed to unmute yourself in the class and ask a question or even type the question in the chat! It may sound silly as “NO QUESTION IS A SILLY ONE”, yet your overthinking side speculates circumstances where the teacher calls your question irrelevant or even stupid. This is very rare but the confidence needed to interrupt a class of 60 or 70 people and get all the spotlight isn’t something most people prefer. You can admit that the situation at on-campus classes is also similar but let’s be frank, it isn’t the same. I’ve personally bombarded hundreds of questions at instructors and even asked for direct assistance but you can’t do that here, right?

If you are familiar with this issue, I have some suggestions that can serve as an alternative to this issue. Firstly, if you’re adamant over your refusal to participate during the online lectures, you can note down all of your questions during the lecture and politely request for an appointment with your instructor or TA and express yourself in front of them with zero hesitation. Their response to your mind-boggling queries would make you realize that your questions weren’t irrelevant and the scenarios you imagined in your head were false. Next, the confidence boost provided after conversing with the instructor would prompt you to type out your question in the zoom chat or maybe even you unmuting yourself to raise your concern during the lecture. If this seems too much to do, the other alternative is to tell your friend in that class that you couldn’t understand a concept and request him/her to ask the teacher on your behalf. It works for only a limited time as then your friend would start asking you to ask by yourself and would feel slightly annoyed with your behavior.

2. Technical Issues

You have a quiz in the next class and the instructor is passing on important techniques to manage your learning and suddenly your laptop battery dies…….

You are all pumped up for your part in the group presentation and just when you’re queued to speak, your wifi stops working……….

I can name at least a dozen examples where technology lets you down during online lectures but there are some ways you can avoid facing such obstacles and even tackle the problems associated with technical issues. Firstly, if you’re using your laptop as your primary instrument for attending online lectures, keep your cellphone ready as an alternative as laptops tend to let you down at a very crucial moment. Secondly, with the reemergence of power failure over the last few weeks, it is pivotal we have our electronic devices charged well before our class so we have contingency plans in case of power failure.

Nevertheless, there are times when the situation is beyond your control like maybe your internet provider reminding you that we’re a part of a developing country with technology hampering our progress. I, personally, panicked the day my Wi-Fi went haywire and was frantic at the prospect of missing out on all of the classes, getting marks deducted for attendance/CP, and even lagging behind the rest. One of my TA’s was humble enough to give me a reality check once I elaborated on my poor internet and claimed that we’re living in the same country so the problem is relatable and reassured that the faculty is more than willing to accommodate such issues. Later she even claimed that one of the reasons for having lectures recorded was to facilitate those who may miss out on lectures due to such reasons.

So if you’re worried about falling behind due to such reasons and think the instructors would be rigid in such circumstances, I can vouch that my personal experience has been fairly encouraging.

3. Computer Literacy

Despite graduating from one of the top schools of Lahore and having access to computer labs throughout my life, the bitter truth is that I suck at Computer. I am one of those who would spend thousands on course packs that were available for free on LMS but my hesitation on computers accompanied by love for proper books with laminated covers and ring bindings made me waste my dad’s income. Video editing? Never heard of it before LUMS. Designing posts? Ummmm……would prefer running all around the campus 4 times rather than attempting such “IMPOSSIBLE TASKS”. But here I am! A junior, who now enjoys making posts for Instagram pages and shows a willingness to edit videos for friends. What led to this change? Despite the negativity associated with societies and some claiming they aren’t productive, a stint of one month at an event under a director who was willing to teach me this stuff was enough to begin this change.

The main point I would like to emphasize is, “Mountains are there to be climbed”. You’re smart, talented, and more than capable of tackling any challenge thrown at you! If you take interest and have the conviction that you’re more than capable of standing firm against all odds, tell me, is there any reason why you would fail? All you need is patience, a friend who may be familiar with some software, and YouTube tutorial videos to get over your lack of computer literacy. Frankly speaking, I am one of those who didn’t even know how to install games/seasons from Torrents so yeah, no reason for you to think you can’t achieve it too.

4. Time Management.

“Yar Abhi to bohat time hay”

“Yar I would listen to the recorded lectures”

“Kar lain gay koi masla nahi kyunke time hi time hay”

Familiar with these phrases? Yeah, they’re very common these days. Our sleep cycle is messed up, we miss out on most classes and comfort ourselves with a lie that one day we would catch-up with all the missed content. I would like to point out two instances where this fallacy got the better of me. In my 2nd semester, on the back of an impressive first semester, I was confident that my ability to multitask and the surge of adrenaline that made me get through the most course in one night, would be sufficient to amass an impressive GPA. LUMS slapped me hard with a “C” grade in a course I was enthusiastic to take and I blatantly blamed it all on the teacher (but my self-consciousness was brutal enough to point out my flaws). After that, I kept studying every day and from that day onwards, it became easier to deal with LUMS education. Well, with the online semester, I have another relatable example. The comfort brought by the Pass/Fail policy of last semester and being in the top tier during the midterm exam forced me to slack off my pace and go on autopilot mode for the remainder of the semester. The instructor would regularly upload her videos on YouTube, which I never opened as I believed I would be able to see them all together during the finals. However, the hectic schedule during the finals made that task impossible and I had to go through the book myself to make up for the lost time. From expecting an “A+”, I ended up with a “B+”. While I did Pass/Fail that course, there’s guilt inside as I knew I could’ve gotten something better but let my procrastination get the better of me.

At this stage, being awake at maybe 4 or 5 in the morning doesn’t even feel like a flex as the real flex is being awake at your morning class time. GET YOUR SLEEP CYCLE RIGHT! GET YOUR SLEEP! IT IS VERY IMPORTANT! START YOUR DAY EARLY AND SEE THERE’S AMPLE TIME! Don’t rely solely on recorded lectures as they may work for some, I believe it is more effective to attend the live lectures and work alongside the instructors to grasp the concepts being explained. DON’T LEAVE FOR TOMORROW WHAT CAN BE DONE TODAY!

5. Self-Motivation.

With the issue of academic dishonesty and other factors, it isn’t much of a surprise that students trying their best have lost their will to compete with the rest. You can try your level best but someone who was behind you during regular classes would end up as the topper alongside the other people who helped one another to ace quizzes after looking for answers online. Looks cool to do that, right? Nope, ACADEMIC HONESTY needs to be observed and is pivotal for ensuring quality education. Not just for the present but also for your future. While we can’t stop others from committing such sly acts, we, individually need to vow to stay away from cheating, and maybe we could ensure one day this issue won’t be the bone of contention when determining our education syllabus by instructors. As for those who are frustrated with this, I SALUTE YOU ALL FOR TRYING *YOUR* BEST and would encourage you to continue doing the same. When it all ends, you’ll realize you learned something, and knowledge never gets wasted.

The other motivational issue revolves around Group Projects and CP. For some people, especially introverts, this online lecture sounds trouble when it comes to these two aspects. Previously, someone would approach and you would happily team up with them for projects but now you’re on your own and have to take the first step of messaging someone if they want to team up. IT IS VERY INTIMIDATING AND YOU DO SPECULATE THOUGHTS WHICH ARENT TRUE! I was so shy that I didn’t approach someone despite knowing that person would happily join and a couple of days later after getting my message across through a 3rd person, I was reaffirmed of the fact that I was too late to ask and she would’ve been happy to form a group with me. It’s totally fine, you wouldn’t look obnoxious to asking someone if they want to team up, so don’t be shy and JUST ASK! As for CP, a lack of confidence does play a role. My style of getting my speech started is by cracking a joke that settles my nerves and gets my rhythm sorted out. This week, I had my first presentation and I cracked a “Gopi Bahu” joke and since everyone was muted, I didn’t even hear a single laugh. While during regular class presentations, the laughs help me calm down my nerves, the silence after my joke completely backfired as I acted all frantic and lost the plot as I skipped some important points from my presentation. Once I was done, one of my friends texted “your chuss joke made even the instructor laugh” and I was shocked to realize that it did work but my failure to notice it got the better of me. SO ACT YOURSELF AND DON’T OVERTHINK SITUATIONS AS IT MAY BE ONLINE, YET THE STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS ARE THE SAME, AND IF YOU DO SOMETHING YOU PREVIOUSLY KNOW WORKS MOST OF THE TIME, TRUST YOURSELF. What worst can happen? Instructor questioning your sense of humor or googling “Gopi Bahu Meme”?

With that said, there are some small pieces of advice I would like to share

1. Keep your posture straight as back hurts after 6 hours of online classes
2. Find a game where you can interact with your friends
3. Some days people are not feeling well, so bear their attitudes rather than brawling
4. Keep yourself hydrated and eat well before classes
5. Zoom meetings with friends as a change
6. Stop mumbling and accept the circumstances
7. Try getting dressed properly for classes….helps in staying active