An Online Student: A Day in the Life

Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

Now with most Universities moving online during the spring/summer term, university life has a new meaning. Typically, I’d be up early (most of the time cranky because I stayed up late for no reason or I stay up late finishing an assignment because I procrastinated way too much) and getting ready to head to campus. I’d spend my day moving between lectures to the library to a coffee shop and then some restaurant because I forgot to eat all day (and I love Chicken on the Rox to be completely honest). I actually loved every bit of it. And now being a student where all my courses are online, I miss it. A lot.

My new routine throughout the day has significantly changed. I’ve moved back home with my parents which is nice, comfortable and free food is always welcomed and I spend most of my time in my room.

I get up in the morning around 8–9. Fortunately, I don’t have any Zoom Lectures. All the class content is posted on the site so I get to it whenever I am ready. At the same time, because it is all there for me and I can do it whenever I want, I am trying to make it a habit that I finish a lecture a day as if classes were functioning normally so I don’t get left behind, stressed and doing everything last minute. On the positive side, I can happily sleep in and stay up late without regretting it. And honestly, I think this is the only good thing about having all my classes online.

I still get ready every morning because its something that I need to do in order to feel productive. If I am still wearing pyjama’s, I am not getting any work done. I’d be staying in bed, watching Modern Family as it has just come to Netflix and I am hooked. After I get ready, I enjoy my breakfast and coffee. Then, I get to work. I am a morning person and the more that I can get done earlier in the day, the better I feel.

Then it's me, reading/listening to my lectures, writing notes and I am done within a few hours. A few hours a day dedicated to my work and I am finished!

But now what?

Truth is, as convenient as the online courses are, I miss the real thing. Spending time in lectures with friends, something about falling asleep in a lecture hall is oddly satisfying and comfortable. Going to grab a coffee on campus, running into your lectures late. As cliche as they are, I find that they were the little happy moments that made up the entire university experience. While it is much easier to get work done online, it doesn’t feel like University anymore.

For the first time, I’ve never been more excited for September to go back to school (if its open which I am praying).