“Our new norm”
When I decided to attend UCSB I was excited about starting a new job, making new friends, and trading my old car for a bike! I was looking forward to having new teachers and learning in huge lecture halls, instead of my small charter school.
When the pandemic hit, I was sad that all of the things I had looked forward to were taken away in what felt like the blink of an eye. But I packed up my dorm and came back to San Diego, and before I knew it, my college experience was taking place over Zoom.
I think we can all agree that zoom has become a normal part of our daily routine. My morning once involved getting dressed, doing my hair, and biking to class, but now most of my experiences are accomplished through the click of a couple of buttons.
Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, I had only used Zoom a couple of times in my entire academic career. I would have never guessed that one day I would be launching zoom three times a day. For me, Wednesdays are my busiest day. I have my work meeting for Arts & Lectures at 12 pm, my Social Justice Feminist class from 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm, and my Latin American studies section meeting from 5 pm to 6 pm. On Wednesdays I find myself spending a little over three hours staring at my colleagues and professors through my computer screen! In the beginning, it was a fun change but now I am definitely experiencing some fatigue. I do not have the best vision and, even with my glasses, my eyes still feel strained at the end of the day from the hours and hours of staring at my computer. The one good thing about working from home is that I can stay in my pajamas and no one can judge me!
I have found myself doing a lot of collaborative work on Zoom. This quarter I have experienced plenty of breakout rooms (separate conferences that are created by the person hosting the zoom meeting). From talking to my Chemistry lab TA during office hours to working on a group test for my Latin America class, I have definitely relied heavily on Zoom. Using zoom has also helped me collaborate with my co-workers at Arts & Lectures; although Zoom is great, I am more than ready to start working in-person again!