Amanda Jang: The Past Year at Zoom University
When we were first told to move back home in March 2020, I don’t think any of us were prepared for what the next year of online schooling would bring. I, for one, had to move back home to Taiwan where I was about to learn the importance of time management. Living with a +15 hour time difference from PST, I spent the last year taking classes from anywhere from 11pm to 4am. Honestly, finding a work-life balance was very challenging since I essentially lived nocturnally, taking class in the middle of the night while sleeping during the day. While it certainly wasn’t easy, I’ve recognized how proper time management would allow me to not only stay on top of my schoolwork, but to also discover new interests and pick up new hobbies. In Fall 2020, I decided to rush for Alpha Phi Omega, the professional service co-ed fraternity on campus, and it has by far been the best decision I’ve made so far during my time at SCU. Not only has this fraternity allowed me to pursue my passion for community service, I’ve surprisingly made some of my closest friends through it as well despite the fact that I’ve never met them yet.
Besides understanding the importance of having a balanced work and social life, this past year has also made me realize how much I took in-person classes for granted. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I, along with many others, have been guilty of not being engaged in the classroom. It wasn’t until this past year taking classes through a computer screen that I’ve recognized the privilege of being able to go to a classroom and engage with my peers and professors. While many professors have done an amazing job with making classes interesting online, it’s inevitable that Zoom fatigue after hours of staring at a computer screen would hinder class engagement. This past quarter, I took Management of Organizations with Professor Hooria Jazaieri and it’s been one of my favorite classes I’ve taken at SCU thus far. Professor Jazaieri was able to emulate an in-person class setting with numerous in-class discussions and was always open to student feedback on how long we wanted our discussions to be. In this class we were also able to participate in real-life simulations of negotiations between managers and employees, which was a great way to put the material we learned in class into practice.
As we’re coming to the end of this school year, I can certainly say that I’m very much looking forward to being on campus again in the Fall. Not only do I get to reunite with my friends and further pursue the passions I’ve developed this past year, I’ll get to take full advantage of my education that I’ve come to develop a deeper appreciation and thankfulness for.