by Jess Prowse

A Day in the Life of an Online Uni Student

It’s 8:57 a.m. I open my eyes and reach for my laptop that I tossed beside my bed after last night’s frantic assessment submission. The blue light burns as the laptop powers on — I click the Zoom icon, copy and paste the class link and press ‘join’. Good — my camera and microphone is already turned off, the same as everyone else. The lecture begins, and I zone out to the sound of the tutor desperately trying to convince everyone to turn their cameras on and say hi.

I was asleep 5 minutes ago. I wonder what’s new on Instagram. Maybe I should have a shower. Maybe later. A few people feel sorry for the tutor, and their faces pop up on the screen with a greeting wave. Most are in pyjamas or trackies. Some of us are still in bed.

Words and Illustrations by Jess Prowse

It’s 9:30 a.m. I roll out of bed, connect my Airpods to my laptop and make myself toast. The lecture drones on in my ears and I think about the 7 a.m train I would’ve had to catch to make it to uni in person.

Thank God for Zoom.

Yesterday, I had a wild burst of motivation and put on some jeans, a cute top and some mascara (!!), but today, soft rain patters against my window and I decide to stay warm and comfy in my pyjamas. My current study setup is a coffee table and our old couch in the lounge room. My lower back HATES me. Come to think of it, my upper back hates me too. After lockdown is over, I should book a massage to reward myself for my mediocre efforts this semester. Whenever that may be.

I glance at the time on my laptop screen. It’s 11:45 a.m? I’ve been on TikTok for over an hour?? Class is in 15 minutes?? I haven’t done any of the pre-work.

It’s 3:04 p.m. I slam my laptop shut. That was painful. That last hour spent in a dead silent breakout room was the cherry on top. It’s crazy how much the shift to online learning changed the class dynamic. The introvert in me kind of loves it, but I was just beginning to make new friends. Oh well, right now, I’m more disappointed about the fact that we didn’t even go over the pre-work. My three hours of productivity were wasted — Ooh, look, another online shopping delivery! As if I didn’t have enough clothes. When am I even going to wear this dress?

Time for the daily walk with Mum for our stupid mental health. This is the 36th time we’ve walked around the lake, and my dog still gets excited. We bump into a few familiar faces along the way and stop to have a chat. It’s nice to see people in person instead of through a screen.

I can’t remember the last time mum and I spent time together like this before lockdown. It’s 5:12 p.m. and the sky is flooded with shades of pink, orange and purple. The lake reflects these colours and I take a billion photos. It’s beautiful. It’s 1:09 a.m. I stop watching Kath and Kim for the 10th time.

I should find a new show to watch tomorrow.