Though I wouldn’t say I miss the chaotic days of our asynchronous semesters (they’ve actually made me appreciate semi-normal life much more than I ever have by comparison), I would be lying to you if I said there weren’t at least a few aspects of that era I legitimately enjoyed. So, in the spirit of finding the silver lining in a time that most of us would look back on as “anxiety-inducing” at best and “unforgettably painful” at worst, here are a few aspects of asynchronous school life that I look back on fondly.
My favorite feature by far was how the entire process of physically preparing to go to classes was completely removed from our lives for over a year. Being able to wake up five minutes before start time, quickly throw on a shirt and some sweatpants, and log in just before class began was a convenient way to go about taking classes. At the time, I definitely missed the daily routine of physically heading to school everyday. But after a few months of being back to normal, the novelty’s worn off. I admit that on some days I wish that I could just throw on a shirt, open my laptop, and instantly be in class again.
This next bit may come off as a bit of an odd opinion — especially since most people find this aspect of Zoom classes super frustrating — but, I’ll admit I thought it was really funny when technical difficulties would pop up during classes. I can only describe these moments as some sort of digital slapstick comedy, but watching other students totally lose connection mid-sentence or be completely overpowered by the background noise of another student’s Zoom feed was hilarious to me. And of course, bearing with professors who weren’t very tech savvy during the earliest days of asynchronous classes was chock-full of random technological failures and glitchy moments that always put a smile on my face. That smile fell a bit once I remembered how much we pay to attend this University, but the digital bumps in the road were kind of funny in the moment.
The time surrounding our asynchronous education was stressful and, for a majority of us, difficult to look back on. Even still, I’ve always found that remembering the good parts of bad times can make our recollection of those times more positive, and most importantly, help us appreciate the present.
