Learnings from Remote Semester- 1st Term Review
About Me
I am a Product Manager and UX Designer(https://bit.ly/392Swpo), completing a graduate degree at the Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, BC and enrolled in the Pre-MDM Program (Pre-Master of Digital Media) - https://thecdm.ca/program/pre-mdm.
About Program
Pre-MDM is designed to enhance ESL students’ communication skills in the field of Digital Media, both for professional and academic purposes.
It offers a selection of practical workshops and lectures with the direct goal of building third-tier language abilities: fluency, coherence and, addressing even more practical skills, teamwork and project management.
Studying remotely in the first semester was like sailing on a CDM boat, fighting the high tides of this novel virus, and learning from new experiences every day, rising and thriving through this pandemic. Surely, there were millions of new things that we mastered, and I am sharing the best ones.
Key Learnings from Virtual Pre-MDM
Many problems can arise from misunderstandings, especially when we are virtually connected. But this semester made me learn about different people from versatile nations and how having fun while learning new things shows up in your performance :)
We learnt to always remember who we are writing for, who are we pitching for, and what our reader needs to know and always make a human connection with the audience.
Our words and vocabulary are a bridge between technology and our social users. Pre-MDM taught us always to remember that humans will be listening and reading to our content. We should avoid sounding robotic and make the style conversational.
Learnings From Remote Courses
I spent several months developing these valuable life skills in a physical setting, and the rapid shift to online learning was sure to have an impact. Still, the courses designed by our professors in this remote semester have helped students to adapt to the “new normal” without any distress.
Clearly, the transition to online learning came with workload and structure challenges, but the faculty has made the communication to flow in all directions smoothly. Remote courses mean learning numerous new softwares and apps with many great insights and technical acumen that might not have been possible in regular in-person classes.
Who knows, we might end up having a remote job in the world’s top multinational, and having hands-on experience beforehand on these digital tools will be a great head start for the CDM students.
Though the curriculum is tight, remote learning has allowed us to explore hobbies and interests that aren’t always supported by the regular in-person schedule.
Moreover, it has provided an opportunity to learn better at my own pace with more flexibility, and I have definitely caught up with my sleep debt now.
Now that the home has become a place of both study and rest, meticulously designed courses help us create healthy boundaries between college and personal lives.
Learnings That I’ll Likely Keep Doing After The Pandemic Is Over
Well, learnings in these challenging times have led to new ideas and imperatives, which will surely help me after this pandemic. I will definitely cherish the experiences I learned from my globally connected peers.
There is so much that we are learning from each other, despite being globally separated. Realizing how to manage priorities when there is so much time or ‘no time in hand’ is indeed illuminating for me.
Before the pandemic, many of us would often run on autopilot and rush through our lives, but this pandemic has helped us re-evaluate what self-care means.
It has taught me that I cannot take anything for granted, which will be a pearl of life wisdom.
Nothing is trivial, and these are essential tasks that keep us grounded. My takeaway is that we can survive with much less than what we think we can, and I’ll never forget it.
Despite the negative impact of the crisis, remote learning has indeed implemented a sense of patience in us all, and it is a virtue that can be cultivated. It helps us learn new ways to use technology, build networks, and support existing systems that will come in handy in the future. It had allowed me to know to slow myself down when feeling overwhelmed and realize that I need energy for myself first.
Finally, understanding how to accomplish more by utilizing time proactively will always remain a core learning after this pandemic. I will never forget to ‘plan for a new kind of future.’
