UW-Green Bay Psychology student Paige Anderson details her online experience

Although UW-Green Bay is intending to be open in fall and welcoming faculty, staff and students back on campus, some classes originally scheduled for in-person instruction will be moving online or having online aspects to them for the safety of the UW-Green Bay community. Current UW-Green Bay students who transitioned to online learning in Spring 2020 demonstrated that they are resilient problem-solvers and describe their experiences while providing some advice to future students…

Paige Anderson is a Psychology major entering her senior year.

Paige Anderson

“I personally love in-person classes. I feel much more disciplined to go to class, participate and really retain what I’ve been learning when I can see a real person presenting the information and others around me learning the material. Online classes can in-part be a challenge if the in-person experience is something that I (or other students) use as a motivator or a tool to stay engaged. This is because in an online class, one can expect that if the class is lecture-based, one may find PowerPoints or other forms of presentations uploaded to Canvas, along with weekly ‘to-do lists’ of what is expected to be completed each week. Sometimes, one may be required to read a chapter of the course text, or to complete a quiz, or to watch a video clip, etc., and while almost all of my professors have been clear in what is to be done each week, it can be lonesome because it is self-paced and individual, rather than sitting next to your classmates each day. One of the best ways to combat this, if you’re nervous about this format, is to stick to what you know works for you! I like hand-written notes versus a computer, so I would still write my notes in a notebook to give me an in-person feel (See Rocketbook products if you’re interested in handwritten notes that can be uploaded to your computer for quick access!).

Also, stay connected with your classmates! Maybe do a Zoom call or exchange social media usernames so you can talk about the class to avoid any feelings of isolation. This is a perfect time to get to know your professors and ask them questions about the course—especially if you’re not fully comfortable with asking questions in person yet, this is a great time to practice those skills. Also, remember that this is an unprecedented time for everybody, and your resilience is noticed, favored, and commemorated, so hang in there!”