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A story about an international student struggling to keep focused on online school during the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"9c90bf82-f0b2-4843-b754-ccc6bd37ad9a"},"title":"Syncing with Online by Vipin Chandran"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

Three months after I reached this country, a pandemic like never before hit the whole world. We were all thrown into a feat of uncertainty, but classes resumed online after a week of that, as nothing changed. But let me explain my situation. I am an international student paying 400 CAD for sharing a room with another student attending online classes. But that wasn't the real issue. The actual problem was that whatever the professor was teaching online, it was not reaching me, and by reaching me, I mean, MY BRAIN. Was it the language, no. Was it the professor or the network? Nope. I got scared! But later realized that it was because I was not in the classroom!<\/p>\n\n

You see, I never really studied when I went back from school, ever. All my learning was done in the classroom through active interactions and jokes, and fun activities; if I had homework, I usually finish them in class or in the library, which is fully equipped with chairs and tables. But now, all I had was my darkroom and my bed. I saw my professors, as well as my classmates' faces, but that's it. When I was in the classroom, I immersed myself in the subject, while now I have to pay attention to each word the professor says and actively understand it, instead of passively digesting the information through activities. I had trouble finding my way to finish up the assignments because of the lack of a dedicated set-up. All this came crashing down on me, along with the fun life I lost due to the pandemic. I tried fighting back to stay afloat, but this was weighing me down, and I knew I would drown soon.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"6b29b584-eeb2-4af8-a321-b9ff26573bb6"},"title":"The Wicked Problem"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

Did I overcome it? Maybe? At least partially. I engaged myself in customer service in the place I worked. When I needed encouragement and motivation, I called my friends and cried about the life we lost; at least, I am not the only one in this drowning boat(hehe). But something unexpected happened, maybe because we are sharing our worries and sadness, we started feeling more in tune and less stressed. And that greatly improved my focus. We each learned from each other our ways of dealing with school. We helped each other in informing about the assignments as well as other homework and exams. That helped a lot. Then later, one of my new friends suggested that I buy a make-shift table, which helped immensely. I got the feeling of being in class, being productive, and organized.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"2c622ad3-4622-49a2-b59a-5d6135bb6735"},"title":"Finding a Solution"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

For words of wisdom, I would say share your problems with your friends, and you don't know where help can come from. In times of need, we need to be more open and look for possibilities in every direction. <\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"d8d1eadb-4475-4ee4-9299-efbe98b4f00c"},"title":"Final Thoughts"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

Chandran, V. (2021, October 5). Syncing with Online<\/em>. Liberated Learners. https:\/\/wicked.liberatedlearner.ca\/learner\/syncing-with-online\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","subContentId":"467c7977-1ec5-40e4-ad26-863a629df262","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"}},"title":"APA Reference"}],"hTag":"h2"}

Syncing with Online

Liam Peart