Lately, I found myself bombarded with messages, stories, advices, and whatnot regarding the extraordinary opportunity of studying online. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely happy that I have the chance to finish the courses and receive the credits, given the circumstances, and I do think that remote studying and online working are going to be more popular in the future.
But some of the stories I have seen end somewhere between the lines of “I hope this will become normalised” or “I wish this will continue like that after the lockdown”.
Well, I hope not! And this is why…
It hurts!
Remote studying hurts, physically. After little over three weeks of remote studying, my back hurts from the weird positions I put myself into during the day, while being glued to my laptop. My eyes and head are killing me in the evenings, after having various screens on my face for hours and hours.
I can’t focus
I think I always fell in the category of people with normal attention spans. In the lectures, I don’t find it very difficult to keep my attention on the lesson, except if it is a terribly boring lecture.
But at home? I get distracted every 5 minutes!
The sun outside is lovely, let me check my emails, I need a drink, let me check my emails, I need to use the toilet, let me check the private messages, I could use a snack, what’s in the news…
Finally, the lesson has ended. Wait, what was it all about?
It’s invading my space
“My house, my rules”, remember? Well, the only space that used to be mine and over which I had absolute control, and where I felt so comfortable, is now invaded every day by 20+ uninvited guest from yet another online class.
There’s always a security risk
You know Edward Snowden? Of course you do, otherwise why would you cover the camera of your laptop with a band aid? Oh wait, now you actually have to uncover it every time you have online meetings. Gotcha!
Sometimes, technology just lets you down
A seven-year-old laptop, a 10 Mbps connection, a smartphone that needs an update right now, a low battery, an expired license, a Windows update… it will happen. Technology is going to let you down, probably in the middle of the most important exam.
