My first semester at Frederick Community College didn’t go the best. I failed my online math class because I had trouble adapting to an online environment, although I fared better in my on-campus English class. Knowing that I’d be taking classes in person was why I looked forward to my second semester at FCC.
My schedule consisted of two on-campus classes only, for two days a week. I had full control over talking with teachers, note-taking, having a campus to explore, and having people to talk to. Things seemed like they were going to be great.
I didn’t have to worry about online classes for the rest of the semester. What could possibly go wrong?
We all know the answer to that. Once the pandemic hit, I was forced to be stuck inside at home once again. There was nothing to do but watch TV, play video games, and ignore family members. That seemed to be the normal thing, anyway.
That’s when I realized, uh-oh, I’m going back to internet classes once again. Only this time it was for both of my courses. I started to panic. I failed the last class because I was trying to adapt to a new environment. I was now left wondering how I was going to pass two online classes.
Like everyone else at FCC, I started doing online classes in the middle of March, and as I expected, I was starting to struggle. I felt nervous about emailing and interacting with teachers because I didn’t want to interrupt or annoy anyone’s day. There were a bunch of projects and articles I didn’t know how to write because I couldn’t go anywhere to get help.
It was when I saw my grade on my third article for my journalism class that I finally started to adapt. I started to email teachers more, and I felt more confident about what I was writing. I found alternatives to the outside world in case I needed to interview someone.
I went from feelings of dread when signing in, to feelings of dread now that all my work is nearly finished. It seemed that college, whether online or in person, unexpectedly cured my boredom in ways I never knew possible.
Many people may be scared to adapt like I was when I was forced online, but with patience, practice, and most importantly, a need to improve, getting used to different things isn’t as hard as you might think.
