5 November 2019
Devon Williams
When I saw the email giving me the thumbs up to start putting classes in my cart for Spring 2020, my heart fluttered just a little. This semester of classes has not felt engaging or made me interested in the material, so when that little email popped up, I made a mental note that we are getting closer to the end of this semester and I would be able to start fresh next semester.
I begin looking through my classes and realized a majority of them are online. To say the least, I am disappointed.
I wondered why so many of my options are only offered as an online class. I fully believe that when I take an online class, I only retain 50 percent of the information. And when the bill of tuition is payed, I do not want to waste my money to only understand 50 percent of the information I was “taught.” The way online classes are set up feels to me completely disengaging and unmotivating.
I think that online classes can be beneficial when it comes to needing to be home with kids or family, or even working full time to pay for school, but I did not enroll as a full-time online student nor do I want to become one.
I wanted a college education in class and with the ability to fully retain the information explained to me. So, when I get on the UCCS portal, and see that I have no other choice than to take an online class, I feel a bit enraged.
When you attend a lecture once or twice a week within a small class size, you are able to form connections with peers and your professor if need be. I met some of my best friends from sitting in a lecture hall. I wonder how much of a social aspect you may be missing when all or even some of your classes are online.
I feel like attending college is setting you up to be full-on adult. Part of the knowledge we gain while we are in college is from textbooks, but it is also setting us up with other skills for the future. I believe that being social and being able to work, communicate and elaborate with peers is something essential for a successful future career.
I believe that when you are able to show up consistently, that becomes a skill you need for the future. So, when I am in my pajamas, sitting in my bed with my online class open, some of the skills that I think should be consistent throughout a class are missing.
I started to wonder why some of the options were only online, and how this came to be. I even asked my uncle who is a professor at a university in California. He explained to me that online classes mean that they do not have to pay a professor as much as they would for a lecture or lab. This made sense and maybe UCCS decided to cut down on professors or they feel online classes are more beneficial, but I am not convinced.