Review of my online courses- My spring 2020 session

For those who are interested, I am taking 5 courses this semester. Two of my professors have regular online courses - using webex and Zoom. These class schedules are fairly regular, and consistent. For 2 other courses, the professors prefer to use prerecorded video instructions, often uploaded and available in a less scheduled and reliable time-frame. My remaining class is a combination of live or uploaded lectures. Overall, this is not how my family or I envisioned my college experience, but I guess these are not normal times, and require sacrifice and flexibility for many, especially those who are dealing with health or financial hardships.

What concerns me is what will September look like? Will the fall semester start on time? Will there be a resurgence of the virus and a closing of the campus again? What will the campus environment be like and will it include social distancing and will become of EC events and clubs?? Will there be a sports program? Maybe BC will reshuffle it’s calendar by pushing back fall and spring start dates? Many unanswered questions.

The worst case scenario for many, is September will open as scheduled, and then a resurgence of the virus, resulting in classes closing and students sent home to once again resume instruction classes online- the content of which is inferior to what can be searched and found on Youtube.

Because of so many unknowns, there is also talk of simply taking a semester off until the dust settles and we can resume some type of normalcy….this is an option I am seriously considering.

Stay healthy and safe.

How many finals in two weeks will be timed tests and how many will be a final paper? Are your exams at the scheduled class time or anytime within. 24 hour period. I would think once you start it’s timed.

I’m hoping we go back in the fall. I’m dealing with online and it’s not terrible, but it’s definitely not my preference. Wanted to win the mug this semester with my intramural team. Just hoping to get back to normal. I’m going back either way because I have an apartment this year, but hoping to have a traditional junior semester with seeing friends on campus, doing in class coursework and typical fall sports. Keeping positive thinking… September marathon and October graduation for the seniors. Should be a great fall. Hoping for the best. Now I really got to go study for chem and bio. Later.

@privatebanker. Hi PB. This semester, I don’t have any “Finals” in the traditional definition of test taking. I have final “papers” due in all 5 courses; with extremely liberal delivery dates. Guess that’s a positive, right?

How is your daughter faring? Is she doing an internship? I had a great internship set up in DC and a BC friend had hers with a very prominent US intelligence agency - not anyone. Both cancelled due to Covid 19… Sucks. Anyway, Hope you and your family are doing well.

@bbfan1927 She’s not loving online. But some roommates took over a sublet after the dorms cleared out which she likes.

She got a paid internship in Boston this summer. It’s only two days a week right now and is going to be remote. So at least it’s something. She is also going to take two classes over the summer and found a part time job.

I think she has three sit downs and two papers.

Really great that you knock out the papers and no timed tests.

Hope you guys have a good junior year somehow.

Thanks for sharing your online learning experience. I want to share here a bit about my student’s online semester. Son is CSOM 2021 with an accounting for CPA concentration. I graduated from BC & care deeply for the University.

Son’s 5 BC classes included 1 that was offered online for 4 credits: a College Writing section this semester via the Woods College. Yes, my son did not sign up for College Writing until his 6th semester! And he is glad he waited because Professor Francesca Minonne is amazing! His classmates were a healthy mix of current undergrads and night school adults. He found it refreshing to have peer reviews by older adults. Btw, registering for Woods College classes involve lining up the first day of regular classes. It was really worth one very early morning in Gasson to secure a 4 credit all online class towards graduation.

3 of the 4 other classes that flipped to all online instruction held live Zoom sessions and generally kept to their planned deliverables. Professor Lyndon Garrett’s Organizational Behavior class maintained a high level of academic integrity and a challenging group project. Longtime BC Music professor Jeremiah McGrann worked to find the best sound equipment to teach his Beethoven elective. My son hopes to take one more McGrann elective before graduation. Both men responded to the pandemic challenge with outstanding teaching via Zoom.

In contrast, Nan Liu’s Operations Management course became a shell of itself. Liu flipped to an entirely pre-recorded Zoom lecture format & cancelled all group projects. Apparently Liu had 3 sections of Ops Mgt & got to save himself time by avoiding live instruction & paring back his curriculum. How in the world this was approved by CSOM? He didn’t even hold a live Zoom class to review for his final exam.

I hope this is helpful.

@Notknot77098 thanks for sharing! Fellow Eagle here - D20 is supposed to start classes at BC in the fall. This info is helpful!!

@xyz123a feel free to DM me with questions - best to have course picks thought out ahead of meeting w advisor -

@privatebanker BC is going to follow the lead of Harvard- that’s what BC does.

For the moment, barring a significant improvement in the outbreak prospects and or a change in the fall opening date ( maybe a later start date into Oct or early Nov) my parents are leaning towards me sitting out the fall. Parents don’t want me to have a repeat of a cut short semester. I agree.

^^don’t forget about housing if you take a term off. BC does not have to offer a ‘5th year’ of housing, so if you are ok with a local apartment. (but note, very difficult to find a 6 month lease in the Boston area)

Second semester on campus housing has been plentiful last few years @bluebayou - something like 900 Class of 21 students off campus this spring - I would expect @bbfan1927 will find helpful staff in BC Housing, including a very good Off Campus Living Director (Andrew Klopstein), to make things work if he/she decides to wait out this fall. Best to be reasonable and polite in your dealings right now w BC - makes you stand out from all the foot-stompers. Charles Gate Property Managers are also very helpful & professional right now with short term housing needs (Kayla Carresi). Hope everything works out for you @bbfan1927 !