I haven’t had much of a break this year, even during the break. My dad started dialysis for his kidneys just before Christmas, and ever since I have been quite exhausted, especially emotionally. I knew that the way things were going; I was going to have a hell of a time with classes.
The solution? Online classes.
There are many reasons why people take online classes. Before now, I typically only took one if I found the course interesting enough to manage the hard balance between school and the rest of life in general. For some, it might be intense anxiety that leaves them unable to learn in a classroom filled with their peers. For others, they might be a single parent unable to make it to campus consistently. Those are just some typical reasons one might decide to go for online classes over the social stimulation of being in a physical classroom.
Now, I have fulfilled all my General Education requirements, so I had nothing holding me back from choosing whatever online classes I desired to distract myself with and explore this semester. I remember the fun I had taking a Classics class last semester, which, while on campus, inspired me to step outside of my current English major and see what else of that nature I could find for this semester. There’s another silver lining for those of us with dreaded student loans hanging over our head like some multi-faceted Sword of Damocles. It’s cheaper than a campus class.
Now I’m taking four Classics Studies classes online. While I, unfortunately, do not have much to say about them all individually as I only just started this week, I can say the routine for it has been exceedingly lovely! Especially compared to my previous schedule of waking up at 5 a.m. to catch a bus at six in frigid, winter weather. The new routine: Wake up. Get dressed in some cozy sweats or a comfy hoodie. Fix myself the giant glass of iced coffee I know will easily last me the day, and hole myself in my home office with a space heater purring by my feet. Quite the turnaround from what you expected from the beginning, isn’t it? But I look forward to waking up, logging in, and finally doing some productive reading, writing papers that I had actually missed over break.
Another reason I’m doing this is because this is my last semester at UMass Boston. I cherish my mental health a bit too much for someone of this age; and while I have passed all my semesters here with at least a 3.0 GPA, I’ve somehow developed a complex within myself to end at least one semester on the Dean’s List.
Though I sound like a productive bum hiding from the wild New England weather, there’s another part I look forward to testing once the weather starts getting warmer and slightly less annoying to deal with: exploring local cafes and libraries. While I’ve done writing of my own in a Starbucks, doing homework almost live-time has to it a certain, almost entirely different feel. I know I could be at the school I have shelled out four student loans to go to; but instead, I’m taking a class on some aspect of the Mediterranean while smirking to myself over a rim of slightly overpriced coffee and blaring Hamilton over crappy coffee house playlist music.