It’s been a little over a month since the start of my fall semester, and it has certainly been quite a unique experience. Like many other students right now, my college experience is currently a hybrid or “hy-flex” format, meaning that classes will be a mix of in-person and online until Thanksgiving, and the last two weeks (essentially just finals) will be entirely online. It’s definitely come with a learning curve, but I feel like I’ve finally found a routine that works for me.
Unfortunately, most of my classes are entirely online this semester. It’s certainly disappointing since I loved in-person classes, but it does come with some perks. My course that focuses on podcasting has taken a shift to incorporate creative solutions and how to create high-quality content without expensive equipment, which I feel is a really important skill. My media writing professor told us that he’s going to be bringing in more guest speakers, since it’s easier to bring in a guest over Zoom than in real life. For all of my classes, my professors have rearranged to course material to cut out a lot of “fluff” to ensure we are truly focusing on what’s important and truly grasping these important concepts.
I’m extremely thankful to have gotten an internship with my school’s career development department this semester. My internship focuses on social media, digital marketing, and video production, and I feel that the remote working environment has allowed for a lot of creative liberty that I might not have had in a traditional setting. As opposed to having to come to the office to do my work, I can work on my assignments on my own time, at my own pace, and at whatever location I feel is best. This format definitely requires self-motivation, but I also believe that it helps to strengthen my communication and independent working skills, both of which will definitely pay off in the long run.
While my work and academic life have found some stability, campus involvement has been the one place I’ve struggled most. I was so used to spending ten to twelve hours a day on campus everyday, and only being in one building for a few hours twice a week has definitely been a big shift. I am still involved with a bunch of clubs, and I’ve attended some student involvement events, but the virtual-only setting makes it quite hard to engage, and it becomes really easy to feel isolated. Thankfully, I’ve been talking to my friends quite a bit, and we’ve worked on making plans on the weekends so we can at least spend some time together.
I am quite happy with how the semester has been going thus far. It may not be perfect, and I may have had quite a bit of anxiety over certain circumstances, but I’ve been able to work through everything and come out stronger. I’m thankful to have such a strong support system during such a strange time, and I know the next few months will continue to be a learning and growing experience.
See ya real soon,