Hello guys, its Luis and today I’m going to give you a few questions to get your opinions and ideas from it. Hopefully these questions are interesting enough.
-Let’s say there was no pandemic, or the pandemic had ended, and we went back to in-person/having full classes.
1.Would this affect your responses in your post or approach/feelings to this semester?
2.Would you want to keep online and hybrid classes or stick to normal in-person, and why?
-This question is separate to the other 2
A lot of you guys have had less stress and more drive and energy because of your winter vacation.
3. Would you say this winter break and the new year has made you change or clear your thinking? (More motivation, less stress and anxiety, etc.)
4.Would you have given the same response in your post before the winter break?
Hey Luis, those are some great questions Here are my responses to the questions you posted:
1+2:
If the pandemic had ended or if there was no pandemic, I would still feel the same way in terms of my introductory post. Though it was unfortunate that I had a portion of my undergrad experience taken away due to the pandemic, I would still be equally as thankful and appreciative of the memories I had the opportunity to make during that time regardless of pandemic/no pandemic. In terms of classes, however, I definitely prefer in-person classes over online/hybrid classes because of the way it keeps me more engaged and motivated. I feel that in online classes, there’s a large sense of disconnectedness due to the lack of person-to-person interactions that I’m personally not a huge fan of.
3+4:
This new year and winter break has definitely allowed me to obtain a clearer vision of the direction I want to go towards for my future. Being able to spend time with loved ones has allowed me to feel the love and support of those around me but also to de-stress from last fall semester. Prior to the winter break, I would probably feel more anxious about my future due to the stress built up from the past semester and the overall lack of clarity when it came to what I wanted to do with my life post-grad. This winter break gave me time to think about what I would like to achieve in the future and set new goals for myself which gave me a newfound sense of motivation.
Hey Luis
If there was no pandemic, my approach to this semester would definitely be different. The pandemic affected a lot of things e.g. work . If there was no pandemic, I would probably be busy living a normal life or busy with work and probably respond to classes or assignments late but now i feel like I have enough time to stay focused in this semester. I also would like to do both online and in person classes because with the pandemic going on for almost 2 years now, I’m more familiar with online classes and it might take sometime to get comfortable with in person classes again. But I would also like to go in person sometimes to develop my social needs.
The winter vacation definitely gave me more time to clear my thinking, make new plans and be more motivated. Before the winter break it was a lot more stressful dealing with life in general but getting a break made it less stressful. The winter break provided more time to make new helpful decisions.
Hey Luis,
1&2) Pandemic or no pandemic, my post or feelings won’t change. Because for us Muslims we believe in something called ”Kadar” which means fate. The meaning behind believing in fate makes me someone who understands that those things happen for a reason, and there’s a better thing coming. That is where the feeling of being optimistic comes. I talked about how a mindset with positive thoughts leads to better mental and physical health. I’m doing both online and in-person classes. I have 2 classes in-person and 3 online and hopefully, I change them to all in-person next semester. The way in-person classes bring life to my day, makes me feel active and responsible. The environment helps me with the way I interact and communicate with others.
3&4) “New year new me”. This year did change me a lot. Making me more responsible than last year. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t responsible, but I didn’t put work into things. Giving up was the first thing that would pop into my brain. And that’s why I’m encouraging myself to set a positive mindset, where it can motivate me when I’m feeling down. College is really just you and yourself. So learning to be independent is the first goal. Well for winter break nothing special happened but I got to see my family safe and healthy. Seeing them gathered and happy brought so much peace to my heart. No i wouldn’t have given the same response before winter break because the events that happened after winter break broke down many things for me. New goals were created and of course, new me.
Hey Luis,
(1/2) – Hypothetically there was no pandemic or it was over this would definitely deviate my answer compared to my previous thoughts. At this moment online classes all have their definite negatives and positives. I would definitely be more compelled to do work on time and thoroughly if it was pre-covid classes though. I think keeping online and hybrid classes are definitely better since you have the option to do what is best for your schedule. It helps a vast majority of students with time management and lets them be focused on other fields.
(3/4) – I personally don’t think the Winter break/New Year changed my mind on anything. For others maybe but personally for me, it caused more stress than relief if anything. Also, breaks from school typically don’t correlate with me very well. I always had the struggle of becoming lazy during/post-break and adapting to school again. I would’ve probably given a better response and was more enthusiastic if it was prior to the break. (I got my wisdom teeth removed). I was very intuitive when it came to school and more aware and used to the environment of work compared to now where I have to restart.
1&2
For me the use of an online medium is benefits, though I do believe it plays a role in how I and others like me communicate certain ideas or opinions to our peers. Online learning creates this world that lacks the component of social anxiety that people are afflicted with when communicating with a large group. Without that pressure ideas do seem to flow freely and words that are used become more precise. When attending a class and having those in person discussions, unforeseen variables may distract from points we want to highlight or opinions we want to question. Just like in many scenarios in life that unconscious bias can be a damaging, but I believe the benefit to be challenged in person proves to be a unique way to learn about the world. Having to use on hand knowledge while taking time to notice social cues in conversation are all a primary in person learning experience. Taking that in to account, I do believe in some cases my response may differ. If I had to pick, I would choose online classes more often, the flexibility enables me to work and plan my time in a better way.
3&4
Both winter break and the new year have not really played a role in my daily thought process. I did take a vacation around the winter break that was much needed from both work and school. The benefit was almost a resurgence to my sense of duty and energy, that I have brought into the new year. All the goals I want to accomplish for this year that have stretched from September to now. I know that if I ensure 100% effort is put in I will get what I want.
1-2
I would have to say that no, in person classes would not really affect my answer. I do not think having classes in person would change my responses because I have always been nervous before a new class so that would not change for me. I really enjoy having a schedule that has a mix of hybrid and online. Being in person for some classes puts me in a classroom environment which, for me, is very helpful when getting work done. But, being online is convenient and honestly is more comfortable.
3-4
This new year has definitely made me change my thinking especially with productivity. I made a long chart of new year’s resolutions and the steps I wanted to take to achieve them. All of them include having a routine of some kind because I find that I function better with a plan and my day already mapped out. Incorporating organizing in my routines has definitely helped my day planning and decreased my anxiety around due dates. I would not have given this same response before break. Winter break gave me a chance to figure out systems that work for me and a renewed focus.