Learning During A Pandemic

 The show must go on. While the world continues to be plagued by the pandemic, many school districts are left to try and figure out the best way to teach their students. SUNY Buffalo State is one of many colleges depending on remote online learning this semester due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Some students have voiced their concerns about online school. College senior, Hannah Parrino has her own worries. 

The 20-year-old college student is a former Journalism major that recently changed to a Public Relations and Advertising major. Parrino has been taking all five of her classes online since the start of the semester. Parrino has already noticed some major differences between online and in-person classes.

“If you’re in person I think it was a little less, at least for my classes. Now they’re adding all these things that you have to constantly check up on,” she said. Parrino has found the workload for online courses to be more when compared to them being in person. 

Parrino also claims that it is also a little more difficult to know when online assignments are due. Especially in comparison to getting the assignments in person from her professors. Parrino says that she makes sure to check up on Blackboard daily to make sure she never misses any of her assignments. She has also faced some trouble with getting in contact with her professors. 

  “It’s also harder to ask questions because the professors can’t email back right away, so if you’re stuck doing an assignment last minute you can’t really do that because they’re not gonna email you back,” Parrino says.

Despite Parrino’s grievances with online learning, the 20-year-old does recognize that there are some benefits to it. Parrino herself finds it easier to manage her time.

“For my classes, I can sit in my room and do my assignments. I don’t have to get up and go anywhere, so that’s an advantage,” Parrino says.

As the Fall semester continues, students like Hannah Parrino continue to adjust to remote online learning.