Annandale Student Adjusts to Online Learning

April 1, 2020 / Our Nighthawks

Ultimately, we’re all here for the students. It is important to keep our fingers on the pulse of what they’re thinking and feeling during this highly unusual and stressful time.

Ashley Mitchell is in her last semester at NOVA and taking five classes. In total, she has taken 66 credits across about four years enrolled at NOVA. She would have walked in Commencement in May, but she says that was more to please her parents. “I was fine either way, as long as I got my degree,” she said. “That’s the real treat.” She plans to transfer to University of Central Florida to major in athletic training there.

Mitchell has taken almost all her classes at NOVA in the traditional way—in an actual classroom. She did take an online class once, but she dropped it because she felt she was not going to do well.

“I feel that taking multiple classes is a literal juggling act, and if you were to drop one ball, you mess up your overall act,” she said. “So, before I could drop the ball, I dropped the class.”

She did attempt to take the class again and did fine on her classwork but did not do as well on the tests. According to NOVA‘s online policy, regardless of your in class work, you have to get a certain percentage on tests. She felt she has learned an important lesson, though.

“I realized that maybe I just need that face-to-face interaction when it comes to my learning.”

Of the five classes she took this spring, she says three transferred easily to online classes when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

She describes it as having been a little hectic, with some professors learning the new technology along with the students. She acknowledges they are all trying their best, though.

“This is new for everyone, so it just takes a little time,” she said. “I think I’m about ‘zoomed’ to death. Last week, I sat in front of a screen for Lord knows how long each day. For class you’re looking at a screen, then after class you’re looking at your screen some more to finish your homework. She says it’s hard to stay motivated at home. I see my home as a place to unwind. Being at home does make me feel like I can take breaks more frequently. But my home isn’t the quietest, so I used to do my homework at NOVA because I was more efficient that way.”

She feels this has been a bit of a learning curve, but at least it helps her see where she needs to shore things up as she moves forward. She sees a benefit to having lectures recorded in Zoom so that she can watch multiple times if there is something she missed or didn’t understand.

She says that even in the best of circumstances it is difficult to juggle five classes; and it’s really difficult to balance five online classes. She misses the in-person contact. Not surprisingly, she says math is more challenging online.

“When we sit in a classroom and my professor goes over something and people look confused, she would see that and explain more and give us another example. You don’t get that online,” she said.

Mitchell gives a particular shout out to anatomy professor Marilyn Holbeck who has really thrown herself into it and is maintaining connectedness and interaction with the students despite being new to online learning as well. “She has a really can-do attitude, and it’s appreciated – especially at 8 o’clock in the morning!”

She says her math professor, Veronica Carlin, is great with Zoom and has been responding to student questions and emails very quickly. “Math is not the easiest class. She’s trying her best to make this an easy transition for us, and it’s very much appreciated. Math phobia is a real thing. She is such a great professor. I understand and I don’t know how I understand. She’s just that good.”

When asked if the situation were to continue for a while could she continue to be just as successful, Mitchell responded, “I feel as though, no matter what situation we are in, I’ll always be successful. I’ve been unsuccessful before in life, but it was my actions that put me there. I learned, as long as I apply myself, I can do anything I set my mind to. So, I feel confident that no matter what, I’ll be successful. I might get some grey hairs or start to go bald, but still, overall, successful.”

Ashley Mitchell, Annandale Student