Some students at John Carroll University prefer to Zoom into class rather than attending in-person, even when they are on campus. This issue has bewildered professors who say they want to teach to a classroom and not to a monitor. However, students explained why they chose to remain virtual. Many students have taken advantage of this newfound convenience.

“It’s much easier to roll out of bed and open your laptop than it is to get ready and actually go to class,” Vilma Dudaitis ’24 said. “After a whole semester of only having to log onto class, I think many people just got used to it and find it easier to do class that way.

“It takes a lot less effort to log into Zoom than it does to walk to class in the morning,” Dudaitis continued. “I also think the fact that you can attend class from virtually anywhere is appealing to students. For example, some students like to zoom in from outside, from their living room couch, etc, which is something you can’t do in person.”

Other students tend to prefer Zoom over the in-person classroom for safety reasons. Although vaccines are currently available for some college students, the classroom can still seem like a scary place.

“With masks, social distancing and the classroom experience completely changed from the way it used to be, it can be somewhat unsettling adjusting to the new environment,” Dudaitis said. “COVID-19 has already caused so much stress and anxiety for many students, so I think it might relieve some stress for students to avoid the classroom.”

Others prefer Zoom because it provides more leniency for those with a hybrid learning schedule. Students say that when they have classes both in person and online, it can be difficult to attend both classes on time, especially if they are scheduled closely together. 

Zoom also allows students to participate more in extracurriculars.

“Thanks to Zoom, I can go home whenever I want and just take classes from my room like I did in the first semester,” Sean McElhinny ’24 stated. “If I do decide to take Zoom classes during the day, I have much more free time to do what I want and to do things in between classes. Overall, I would reiterate that flexibility is the thing I enjoy. It gives me more time to do hobbies and activities.”

Whatever the case may be, students are discovering new outlets to learn during changing times. According to Kyle O’Dell, the senior director of student engagement at John Carroll, it is unknown yet if a virtual component will be offered in the coming fall semester.