Is Full-time Distance Study Really That Bad?

By Elizabeth Chan

Before I begin, I must first clarify that this is written from my perspective as a highly introverted yet homesick Communications student. So, for readers not aiming to attain a BC, their study experiences may vary across different degrees.

With that note out of the way, let’s get into the article. This is the Life

I only got to go into full-time distance study this year and I’m livin’ the life. No need to rush to class. No need to swallow the bitter pang of guilt when the lecturer eyes you for being late, followed by the prolonged stare of tens of pairs of eyes as you make your way to your seat. No need to fumble with my anxiety fidget ring and sweat as I wait my turn to be picked out and introduce myself in front of a group of strangers, aka my ‘classmates’. No need to panic that I forgot my fidget ring because I was running late. All I have to do now is attend Zoom meetings in the comfort of my own home and sometimes, straight out of bed. Some courses don’t even need me to attend Zoom meetings because they only need me to participate in the online discussion forums. Not to mention, distance courses are much cheaper.

The whole reason why I’m wholly studying via distance right now is because I returned to my home country, Malaysia, to obtain an internship (that I’m still hoping I’ll get during July or October). You might think that I’ve really risked it all just to return home for an internship, but my programme was already done by distance half the time, so I figured, “why not,” let’s just do the whole thing by distance. Besides, I was feeling extremely homesick to the point of having sleepless nights when I was in Albany. So, even if I don’t get an internship (which I really hope won’t happen), I’m just happy to be home with my loved ones.

Even when I was studying internally on the Auckland campus, most of my lectures were online, with a handful of courses having on-campus workshops. This meant that on average, I only had to turn up on campus once a week. Yes, you read that right, I only had to go to Massey once a week. Which, come to think of it, may be why I was always struggling to be on time for my classes... because I only had to turn up once a week.

Even though I got everything I wanted (not having to worry about being late to class or getting all riled up about public speaking), there was a gaping void of emptiness whenever I tuned in to Massey’s Instagram snaps of their campus life featuring students frolicking in the Student Plaza. It was then I began to think, “I could’ve been there.”

Not “in” the Moment

There’s always a flipside to everything. If I said there wasn’t, I would be lying and this would be just PR promoting distance study. Distance study comes with its own challenges, like the need to master time management. Personally, I’ve gotten around time management because half of my programme was already conducted via distance. I’ve also been home-schooled for most of my schooling years, so I’m used to not attending in-class teaching. I did feel the push to manage my time better since I’m in a different environment now and because all of my courses are online. So, if you’re reading this as you stand at a crossroads choosing either to study via distance or internally, here’s a heads up. It’s also not all about the act of mastering time management that gets you through online studies, it’s the confidence about how you manage your time, which I’m still getting the hang of.

Besides the study aspect, I miss my friends, even though it’s a small circle of friends. Although, we still keep in touch, which means a lot to me, and I am every bit grateful for that. But I still feel like I’m not being “there”, “in the moment” with other students when I’m not going to the campus. As if I’m not living the life as a ‘uni student’ as advertised in the media. Then again, I never got to do most of the stuff uni students do ever since my first year. You know, like hanging out with friends in the café, playing futsal in the student lounge or drinking coffee in the library. Because of the way my programme was structured, the closest I ever got to being the orthodox uni student was hanging out at the library. Heck, my programme even prevented me from attending the major events of O-week because the time of my classes overlapped the time of the events.

So, was I really missing out on uni life? You

Do You

Is it better to study on-campus or go AWOL via distance? It’s up to you to decide. I remember being at that same crossroads when I was in my second year when I was minoring in journalism. Until this day, I still ask myself whether I should’ve gone to Wellington to study internally. But, at the end of the day, there’s honestly no one study option that’s “better” than another. It all depends on how you personally find your study options, as in which one feels like you can focus more on studying or which one fits into your budget. Basically, the better study option would be the one that suits you best.

All that matters is personal happiness, not being peer pressured into which study mode others prefer. Everyone has different circumstances and goals, if you never really looked forward to in-person classes or never had to show up on campus anyway then, what the Hell, just go distance.