Reflecting on a Year of Remote Learning

Five students share the positive aspects of their remote learning experiences.

Okay, we know that nobody really loved their university experience this past year. Let's be honest, how could sitting at home on your computer all day compare to meeting new friends, hanging out after class, and enjoying a beautiful university campus. It just wasn't the university life that anyone dreamt of. But sometimes life just gives you lemons — big, fat, really sour, gnarly-looking lemons. So what do you do when life gives you lemons? You try to make lemonade — at least that's what these students did.

We spoke with five students about the positive aspects of their remote learning experiences this past year. Below are the highlights from our conversations with them.

Check out this awesome mash-up video of our students' experiences!

Lester:

"I loved the flexibility of remote learning. I actually really enjoyed both the live lectures over Zoom and the ability to work through part of the class at my own pace and schedule. I work full-time, so it was really helpful to work around my schedule. And it was easy to connect with my professors with phone calls, video calls and email, but I definitely used email the most."

Top Tip For Remote Learning: "Time management is key. Create a schedule that works for you, and stick to it!"

Rilla:

"I don't live in the city, so I really enjoyed being able to work from home instead of commuting every day. I loved that my professors kept regular office hours via Zoom, and they were really quick to respond to emails. Connecting with my classmates was still easy, we used breakout rooms in Zoom or messenger chats. We made it work pretty well."

Top Tip For Remote Learning: "Participate in discussions whenever you get the chance. It might be scary or out of your comfort zone, but it's really great to speak to other people in a time when we are not really able to."

Erika:

"I enjoyed not having to get up for class early, wearing my comfy clothes, and not really wearing make-up if I didn't want to. Also, I never forgot my homework at home or school! To connect with each other, we usually set up a group chat of some kind."

Top Tip For Remote Learning: "Get yourself an ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi if you can. Your connection for video calls will be much better!"

Javin:

"I enjoyed remote learning because it gave me the opportunity to try things I never experienced before. I found out that I have skills I never knew I had, and I really worked on my organizational skills and time management."

Top Tip For Remote Learning: "Make sure that if you have questions, you communicate with your professors and classmates right away."

Sierra:

"I found remote learning to be very flexible, so it was easier for me to work part-time. I connected with my professors by phone, email, zoom or whatever they preferred. I liked that they checked in with us often. I appreciated being able to continue my education remotely with increased safety for myself and others."

Top Tip For Remote Learning: Set up a messenger chat for group projects — we used WhatsApp!

While many Canadian universities have not yet determined exactly what fall 2021 will look like, we are all optimistic about more in-person courses, activities, and services very soon. For updates on the fall semester at the University of Regina, check out this link.