By Nicholas Kim
Since COVID-19 has forced colleges to close down campuses and move to online learning using Zoom, things have been very different for me.
My name is Nicholas Kim and I am a senior at California State University Long Beach with a major in journalism. The COVID-19 pandemic first started during the middle of spring semester of 2020. All students were forced to go home and the CSULB departments had to improvise on how students were going to learn from home. Professors now use Zoom, a video telephone and online chat service, to teach students by sharing screens of powerpoints and making sure students hear lectures.
I think it’s good that education doesn’t give up during times of crisis. Online learning may seem uneasy for those who are so used to in-person classes, but people will adapt. College students need to do online learning by using Zoom in order for them to continue their education and understand that Zoom is their reality now.
There are some pros and cons to my situation. Thanks to Zoom, I can still communicate and listen to my professors whenever my classes begin just as long as my laptop camera is working and I have the Internet. Another good thing about this is that I can sleep in more during weekdays and I have plenty of time to prepare for my classes. When I had classes in-person, I woke up early in the morning and drove to CSULB to attend my classes.
The issue with Zoom classes is that I need to have a secure Internet connection because if I don’t, then I can’t join the Zoom class meeting. Another issue is if there are any questions I want to ask my professors I either have to talk to them when class is over or email them and wait to hear back. Lastly, deep down, I do better with in-person classes, I just prefer the interaction between professors and students.
Zoom classes have affected me both positively and negative. I just hope that COVID-19 will end soon so that all students can come back to campus and integrate themselves back to the way things were.
