From Room 27 to Lab 9

College classes are about to resume. Online. Well, at least that’s what the latest notice from Delhi University states. The efficiency of online classes has now been debated upon for long with the only conclusion being that they are the best option during this time. Keeping the academic factor aside (I usually do), what will happen to the whispers and comments I am used to in a classroom setting? These are as essential in my learning process as the notes. That is how I remember stuff. I correlate the content with what happened in the class at that time or what comment was made.

To illustrate my point, I remember my Linear Algebra Professor hell bent on explaining dimension of a vector space while the three of us were hell bent on deciphering the accent behind the messages sent by a certain individual. The concept I remember the most from Mathematical Modelling is of ‘per-capita’. I will not elaborate on this further. Even though I should. But no. Now, don’t get me wrong. It is not a mockery of the teachers. Absolutely not. It is just the circumstances or the ambiance that makes one chuckle.

Half the fun in attending Statistics classes was the adrenaline rush we got from rushing from Room 27 to Lab 9 in time, fearing been thrown out of class for turning up a couple minutes late. It just won’t be the same switching from one Zoom meeting to a Google Meet. Also, what about lab lessons? The best part of a college day? The potential to wreak havoc in a practical class is humongous. Where’s the amusement in having an entire 3 course meal behind a switched off camera in an online class, if I don’t have to slyly hide my steaming hot maggi under my desk, taking mouthfuls when sir was busy deriving another Real Analysis theorem.

Notice the stark contrast. In a regular classroom setting, the teacher repeatedly asks us to keep quiet. On Zoom classes, the teacher repeatedly asks us to speak up. Even if its just to provide confirmation that we can indeed hear them. More importantly, how will I coordinate my pen twirling shenanigans? Howwww? How will I gesture a fire with my fingers right in front of my friend’s face, that even makes the teacher laugh? No more of that. No more of taking the long route to the Tut Block to avoid society work. Will there be society work now?

The only good think out of this entire situation will be the WhatsApp sticker collections I’ll end up with. WhatsApp stickers do have the ability to magically turn a bad day around. Here’s hoping I can learn a thing or two in the virtual set up.