By Celeste Tucker
Online learning using Zoom has been a rollercoaster type of experience for law students. During my second semester of 1L, California Western School of Law had to quickly adjust to online learning due to the pandemic. Some of my classmates said, “Hooray!” while others were upset. However, we all had to adjust, and we were all in this together.
Throughout this journey, I learned that online learning has its advantages and drawbacks. One of the advantages is that I have more time for myself in the day. Another advantage is the great private chat function on Zoom that allows students to privately message the professor a question. For a student like me who shies away from raising her hand in class, this feature is extremely helpful.
A drawback of online learning is the distractions! I livein a studio that is approximately 350 square feet. I shareit with my fiancé and small dog. I also live near a construction site. My home is noisy and distracting. I ultimately purchased noise-canceling headphones, even though they are expensive. However, the headphones only alleviated some distractions that come with online learning.
Another drawback of online learning is the grid view on Zoom. Although it is nice to see other students, the grid view is distracting to me. My eyes drift from the professor’s grid box to another person’s box when something catches my eye. I expressed my struggle with a colleague, and she recommended I use the speaker view then minimize the screen to where the window displays only yourself and the professor. This has worked tremendously! I wish I had discovered or thought of this tactic earlier in the semester.
Lastly, there is always the fear of saying something regrettable in class while being recorded! We all have that fear of being cold-called, but to be recorded while being called on is a new challenge to face.
Overall, online learning has been a unique experience with challenges, but I am thankful to continue my education. This experience has further shown me the camaraderie at California Western School of Law. The faculty and student body have been working together tirelessly to make this transition as accommodating as possible. Thank you to the legal community for all your support in keeping us law students moving forward.
Celeste Tucker (cmtucker@law.cwsl.edu) is a 2L at California Western School of Law.