My Experience with International Remote Learning: the Perks and the Downsides

          Although it seems like not long ago that I was dithering over choosing in-person or remote learning, it has already been two full months since I started studying at home. As a person with no prior experience with online classes –I graduated high school in February— the past two months have certainly been unfamiliar and new, to say the least. My routine before class has shifted from rushing not to miss the bell and hastily shuffling books in my locker to setting alarms so I don’t forget classes and checking my camera and mic. I don’t have to wait by the printer before class for a last-minute printout; all I have to do is upload the file. I can meet with my peer mentor, my classmates, my clubmates and professor in one sitting, without moving from my room. These changes, however, were pretty much expected when I signed up for remote learning. But international remote learning has brought me some perks and downsides that were not as expected, so I chose to expand upon them in this article. If anyone reading this is thinking of choosing to go remote internationally next semester, I hope the pros and cons I experienced help you weigh your decisions and make the right choice.

          Let’s talk about the downsides first. The most aggravating thing about international remote learning is the time difference. Although I made sure to only sign up for very early classes, the 14-hour difference made them late night classes for me, with most of my classes ending after 12 am and my latest one ending at 2:45 am. And as easy as it may sound, it is definitely not easy to go to sleep right after classes, after hours of concentration and alertness. So in the beginning of the semester I unintentionally pulled all-nighters almost every two days, as my body was not adjusting well to the different schedules, and I couldn’t sleep until the morning. Also, since assignment due times were usually during dawn or early morning for me, the result of procrastination was not only the last-minute scrambling but also a flipped sleep schedule. Fortunately, now, after two months, I have been able to create a system of my own to cope. I try to finish assignments usually 6 hours before the due times so I can sleep normally, drink herbal tea right after late classes to fall asleep faster, and take occasional naps to make up for any lack of sleep. Although I am doing pretty well right now, I do want to point out that it took me more than a month to adjust to the different rhythm, and those periods were rather stressful, so take note of this if you are considering international remote learning.

          Other drawbacks would include sometimes missing meetings because of time difference miscalculations and lack of interaction with other students. Since meetings are not as time fixed as classes, you have to calculate the time difference for every one of them and sometimes you miscalculate or forget. This problem can be solved quite easily through Google Calendar, as one of my helpful JAs told me, which will automatically translate times of your events and alert you. The latter issue regarding lack of interaction with other students is more difficult as there is a limit to interacting through social media. Because of this issue, I feel more inclined to be on-campus for the spring semester.

          But remote learning isn’t only full of negatives. There have actually been many perks that make me glad I spent my first semester in my home country. The best thing about remote learning is being able to spend more time with friends and family. The first half of 2020 was when the worst pandemic breakouts hit Korea, and quarantine was rather strictly enforced. Because of this, I felt that I wasn’t able to meet my friends as often as I would have liked to. But as I chose remote learning, and the COVID situation improved in Korea, I have had many more months to hang out with my friends, which has been wonderful. I also have more time to spend with my family before I move to another country for college, which is also really nice, and my family and I have been spending quality family time through little trips and events.

          Another perk has been being able to adjust to the classes and the workload at home before going to campus. As an international student, and a freshman, if I had gone to campus in fall, I would not only have had to get used to the way classes operated and the work but also the different food and environment and culture. As much as I love starting a new chapter in life, I have to admit that a great deal of stress also follows it. So I’m glad that I had a chance to become familiar with the academic portion of life at Williams in a more familiar environment, and I believe I’ll be able to focus better on other aspects when I actually (hopefully) go to campus in the spring.

          These are the perks and downsides of remote learning from an international freshman’s viewpoint. I personally feel that choosing to go remote for the first semester was the right choice for me, as the pros shone more prominently, but I also feel that the next right choice would be to go to campus in the spring. Prolonged stay at home, I think, may increase the cons. However, as every person has different perspectives and experiences, I advise you to think about what benefits and disadvantages remote learning will bring to you.