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CAMERON: In this final section of the podcast, I'm going to be speaking with this student at CU Boulder, and they're going to tell me how they actually find that the online schooling has benefited them in the ways that they don't have to walk to class and how that has affected their grades and study. And we're also going to be touching on their screen time, and how they feel it's increased, and whether or not they've been trying to lower that.

CAMERON: So I want to thank you again for taking the time to speak with me today. And first, if you just want to go ahead and introduce yourself your age, your year, your major, all that stuff. 

STUDENT: Yeah, for sure, it's not a problem at all! Um I’m 18, I’m a Freshman, you know, um...I’m like majoring in psychology and neuroscience, um I have a philosophy minor right now...

CAMERON: Hey, I'm a philosophy major!

STUDENT: That's incredible! 

CAMERON: So basically what I’m trying to figure out with this podcast is sort of just to figure out how everyone's, uh, specifically how everyone's technological experiences have changed as a student in the pandemic. So first, if you kind of want to tell me how you spent your free time before the pandemic... if you watched a lot on your computer, on your phone, or anything like that and kind of how that has changed.

STUDENT: Um, before the pandemic I definitely used to watch a lot more TV. I don't think I can stay really focused on tv shows for very long anymore. Um but I’m definitely, um, on my phone more...pretty much like TikToks and stuff, like just the ability to like scroll through things really quickly. I definitely liked watching way too many TikToks at the beginning of the pandemic, and like, you know, haven't really stopped, but it is what it is.

CAMERON: No, for sure! And then, so I know you weren't quite in college last year, but how does a normal day last year kind of compare to one this year? Because I imagine a lot more of your classes are online now than they were last year.

STUDENT: Yeah, absolutely! So last year as a senior in high school um in person every day for all my classes—every class, every day—um something that I find kind of funny is that um I used to do stuff on paper all the time. I carried folders and folders of paper. Um, my boss yesterday asked me to pull out a piece of paper to like take notes while watching a video, and I couldn't find paper in my room. I couldn't find, like, a pen or pencil because I haven't used it in so long. So, I think that it might be a good thing ecologically, but definitely not good for our bodies in terms of staring at screens for too long.

CAMERON: Yeah, I used to not wear glasses and then after this year now I wear them...so, thanks internet! But the next thing I sort of wanted to touch on is how this has affected your mental health, your physical health, and how you feel it has affected your educational experience, so...

STUDENT: Definitely! Um I think before the pandemic I was working really hard on my mental health, and I think I’m continuing to do well given the circumstances. In terms of my physical health, I’m probably a very different stance from other people, but I have been diagnosed recently with a disability. I've been suffering with pain in my health for many years, and I truly believe that if classes were online I would have had to drop out because I couldn't get myself to class. It was very difficult last semester just to have one in person and walk there. Um, so I can't even imagine having to go in person for all my classes, um definitely would have had to move home.

CAMERON: Yeah.

STUDENT: Um, and what was the other thing you asked?

CAMERON: Yeah, just sort of how you feel, uh, this has affected your educational experience with so much of it being online?

STUDENT: So definitely my major educational experience has been very different I think in terms of things I’m learning. I think I’m memorizing less, but I don't necessarily believe the things I’d have to memorize for closed note tests are things that I would have retained over time. I think the way teachers are teaching might be more applicable to life, because they are testing you on concepts that you can't just Google. They're testing you on how you can apply that to your life in terms of having open-note tests, and I think that should continue after we can go back in person too. Um, but I definitely struggle to pay attention in class, so that's the downside of online learning.

CAMERON: Yeah, do you struggle a lot? I know for me, a lot of my teachers make us have our cameras on, and I get—maybe I’m just super vain but—I get really distracted looking at my face and, like, fixing my hair and stuff in the camera. And so I kind of feel like I want to turn it off, but then if it's off, it's super easy to be on my phone and not paying attention.

STUDENT: Absolutely. Um, I am very lucky none of my professors require me to have my camera on, which is really nice. But I definitely found, um, like at meetings for my work I have a boss and my co-worker, and those are weekly meetings. Um, so obviously my camera's on, but I struggle with like paying attention now and making it look like I’m paying attention in those meetings, because I’m so used to being able to, like, listen while like looking at other things. So it feels almost as if like I can't both look like I’m paying attention and actually be paying attention.

CAMERON: Yeah no, that makes a lot of sense. And then do you know...is there anything specifically that's like a huge drawback for you with the online schooling? I know you've mentioned some benefits, but is there any huge negative that you've noticed?

STUDENT: Um definitely, I think I’m not gaining as much knowledge. And I’m not creating those professional relationships with my professors or other students in the class that are like really, really important to the college experience and why people go to in-person universities. And I think the most frustrating thing is it's still just as expensive. And obviously online learning is really just what you make of it—if you are applying yourself and really kind of paying attention during class and continuing to keep up, um then you're getting just as much out of it in terms of knowledge—but it's really easy to fall behind and kind of get stuck down there too.

CAMERON: Yeah no, I definitely hear where you’re coming from. And then the last thing I wanted to touch on is with all of our classes being online—or at least a huge majority of them—do...I imagine our screen time, at least for me, has gone up—and Apple tells me of that all the time, so thanks, computer— um...so I definitely, yeah, use my computer a lot more. And I was wondering if you did the same, I imagine? And how you've tried...have you tried to use it less or reduce the amount of time you're online?

STUDENT: I have not. I have definitely used screens on my computer a lot more since the quarantine, and I just don't care enough to try to fix it. I know it's a problem—it'll probably catch up with me one day—but for now, I’m just doing my best with everything that's happening.

CAMERON: Yeah, that is very fair. And then the other thing I wanted to ask that's kind of similar is if you've picked up any new hobbies or tried to do anything else?

STUDENT: Um I haven't; I don't think I’ve picked up any new hobbies. I definitely...moving to the dorms, I had to drop one of my little hobbies, which is speaking...

CAMERON: Oh no...

STUDENT: Yeah. I hope when I get an apartment, I’ll start picking again. Um ,but I have definitely been able to spend more time on my health and trying to figure out what was wrong, um, in terms of like advocating for myself. I feel like I have more time and energy to deal with that than I did before the pandemic, which is really good.

CAMERON: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And then the last thing I wanted to ask you is if you have any story you'd like to share that sort of sums up your experience as an online student or an online COVID college student?

STUDENT: So this may or may not, like, be a good thing, but I was actually...the other week I was able to be quote-unquote able to be in a class while also having a doctor's appointment, while also on hold with another doctor's office. And I think that pretty much sums up my experience with this. I’m able to multitask better, but at the same time my attention's diverted, and I’m not necessarily paying full attention to everything I’m doing. 

CAMERON: Yeah no, for sure. I...I’ve done similar things, and good thing um my camera was off at the time in my classes. But thank you so much for sharing, and thanks for taking the time to talk with me today! And hopefully in the coming years of your college experience, it's a little more normal.

STUDENT: Absolutely! Thank you so much for having me.

CAMERON: Of course!