Article by: Reine Amabel J. Jaruda and Marianne Lois M. Boncolmo
Graphics by: Clark Vincent Constantino
It is almost the end of this quarter, the third term of implementing fully online classes brought by the enforcement of quarantine. Due to the current pandemic, students, professors, and employees of the university are forced to learn, educate, and work within the four walls of their homes and the four corners of their screens.
Talk about new normal, right?
Surely, learning in this shifted mode of delivery for a while has led to the rise of five different types of Mapúan online students.
The Z Catcher
Not everyone can ignore the temptation of the bed when it is just around the corner. While some students attentively participate in classes while learning and chilling in their bed to compromise, the Z Catcher deliberately attends sessions while in bed and asleep. This type of student wakes up in time for them to join the meeting, ensures that their microphone is muted and their camera is off, and immediately goes back to catching more Zs after doing so. Their online buddies include a pillow and a blanket to comfort their sleepy lifestyle. In all honesty, no one will really blame them for doing so especially if their schedule starts at seven in the morning.
The Sneaky Gamer
Some students take advantage of the off-camera sessions by playing online games while in the middle of a class. Usually equipped with two monitors, the Sneaky Gamer often uses the first screen to attend lecture sessions, and the other one to finish side quests and defeat enemies. Do not underestimate this student’s ability to focus and pay attention as they still answer professors’ inquiries while in-game and are never late when saying goodbye before leaving the meeting room. Expect them to not get caught in doing so because gamers are sneaky like that.
The Hungry Muncher
This student just can’t help themselves to some grub. When their schedule usually touches lunchtime, they either take their classes with them to the kitchen or bring their plates to their desks. Regardless, the Hungry Muncher always makes sure their tummies are as full as their minds will be during classes. Whether it is a full-on meal or some snacks on the side, one can be sure they always have something to binge on aside from the recorded lecture sessions.
The Secret Admirer
Even online classes will not stop this student from admiring their crush from afar– albeit through a Zoom window this time. In the most discreet ways, they manage to find ways to pin their crush’s window on the screen instead of looking at the PowerPoint presentation being shared. The Secret Admirer always find their motivation at the corner of their monitors. They are most likely dressed or perked up–a little hair wax here or a bit of blush on there–before turning on their cameras just in case their crush will look at them too. Key indicators of this type include students who are always caught needlessly smiling or drifting off into a daydream in the middle of a serious lesson.
The Disconnected Ninja
There is nothing an unprepared student dreads more than being randomly called on in class to recite. Fortunately, the set-up of online classes eliminates the possibility of being stared at by their teachers and classmates during recitations when students are looking at the ceiling for the answer. In times like this, the Disconnected Ninja have learned to hide behind their screens and feign absence. Typical lines you would hear from them include “Nag-CR lang po ako kanina” or the infamous “Sorry, sir. Nadisconnect ako.”
No matter the type of student one is, one thing is for sure: everyone has their own way of coping with the shift to online classes. Each one has found their own method of making online sessions bearable, finding their own motivation, and distracting them from the monotonous routine of staying indoors. Just a friendly reminder though, one should still practice responsible learning even behind the screens and at the comfort of their homes.
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