Zoom Calls Are My Daily Podcasts

Jan 19, 2021

Zoom won’t hold you back from learning economics and ordering a Crunchwrap in the Taco Bell drive-thru at the same time.

I have been attending college in the Taylor-Swift-Reputation era for some time now. The attire is pretty casual with an over-sized New York Mets t-shirt and pajama pants. It is hard to dress code a student in their own home. However, my work ethic and engagement during classes is crashing. The Zoom meeting is the least of my worries.

A 10 am lecture on Zoom is the perfect way to start my day. I am smearing leftover guacamole on toast listening to the fundamentals of our stock market. A college class worth thousands of dollars is an accessory to my daily routine.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to mastering the skill of multitasking. My attendance class is always 100% and I try to make strong efforts to listen intently while continuing my day. The chances of me getting caught handling other tasks are quite low through a computer screen.

Is it my fault I’m not prioritizing my Zoom lecture? Absolutely, there is a to-do list running through my mind sitting at my desk. The duration of an hour and a half lecture could be spent watering houseplants or refilling the ice tray. Am I doing those particular things? No, I am likely firing up the flat iron to be sure my hair looks good for selfies.

I adjusted to online meetings quickly; I didn’t need to read a how-to manual. However, the home environment is strange. The setting may not be study-efficient when my dog is barking at the FedEx guy or a neighbor is hustling to mow their lawn.

I tend to roll out of bed five minutes before the Zoom meeting starts. My mind might not wake up immediately after joining the class. I am mostly thinking about the dream that abruptly ended when my alarm went off. I wonder if it will come up again in a deja vu moment in the next following weeks. Also, I am scrambling to turn on my laptop to join the Zoom class. However, the big bonus here is extra sleep and saving the cold morning commute to campus.

Zoom meetings might not always be productive in performing other tasks. I could just be in my own little world during some classes. It is easy to be distracted with a Twitter feed or online shop in the next tab over. My retweets might not correlate with the syllabus, but at least I got a good chuckle at 10 am. There are times where the meeting camera is on and I admire myself through the pinned display screen. I check to see if I got the morning eye crusties out and my messy bun is not too bedhead-ish. I think, “Wow! I would have a virtual crush on me too!”

The plus side is that I am physically around absorbing bits and pieces of the Zoom lecture. I treat the Zoom meeting as an educational podcast. An online class can be taken on the go. It is an educational way to go about errands. Honestly, if I were in a classroom setting, I would zone out eventually. It is difficult to give my undivided attention to a slideshow that’s as long as the “Titanic” with commercials included.

The next time you're worried about presenting in your Zoom class --- remember your classmates can literally be doing anything but being engaged in the meeting. They could be writing an angry review for a sequel they honestly thought would be just as good as the first or they could be looking for batteries for their TV remote. Who knows! I do know that I will be looking at pasta recipes I pursue to cook and putting messages in the Zoom chat for participation points.