Life and Learning from Home: Updates from Students and Faculty Navigating How to Learn Online During COVID-19

“I think I’ve adjusted pretty well – I love home!” With classes meeting via Zoom at normal times, Juliana says her daily schedule hasn’t changed too much and she’s keeping herself busy with online work for an off-site lab, and checking-in regularly on Zoom with the Baltimore City elementary school student she normally tutors on Homewood campus. While home in Puerto Rico, her internet connection isn’t the best, but she has more time to do pre-class prep work like writing notes from slides. Juliana hates not being able to grab lunch with her Mat Sci friends after class but says they’re doing Friday Zooms to stay in touch.

Yunfei Wang

DMSE PhD Student

Yunfei has adjusted to working from home by creating and prioritizing goals, both for his continued research work, and his personal life. Organizing his room to create a permanent and tidy workspace and scheduling (safe) outside time has helped him battle distractions that come along with working from home. The biggest change is shifting his focus to research reviews since he can’t run experiments from home.

“It’s definitely a loss not seeing Homewood campus in blossom,” says Wang, but he’s making progress adjusting to life at home by following his new routines and focusing on his goals.

Orla Wilson

DMSE Associate Teaching Professor

Orla is adjusting to her new virtual work and teaching schedule as well as adjusting her relationships with her students to online-only. She says she’s “gobsmacked” by how much food her teenagers can eat and enjoying having lunch with them every day but is missing riding her bike past the tulip gardens on Homewood campus this time of year.

“I miss seeing my seniors ramping up to graduation, Design Day and getting excited about all the celebrations,” says Wilson, “but I am surprised by how resilient and adaptable we all are” in these unprecedented times.