Student Blog: The Reason Why Online School Can Never Replace A 'Real College Experience'

It's been more than a week since I came back to New York City, and I already feel like I have never left. Since I came back, I have been occupied with dismantling my old bed, finding some new furniture because I have a new roommate, and assemble all those furniture. In addition, I have also been doing some school work. Being back reminded me why the online school could never replace a real "college experience."

Yes, I learn many new things in school, but coming to college taught me a lot more than just what I learn inside the classroom. Just as an example, before this week, I have never dismantled a big piece of furniture or used an electric screwdriver, and even if these don't seem like big achievements to some, knowing that I am able to do these things when I need to give me a self-confidence I wouldn't otherwise have.

Living by yourself, especially outside of the campus, gives you a sense of responsibility to think about things you would have taken for granted at home. For the last year and a half, I've been back at my parents' house, and I should admit that I felt into the comfortable pattern I used to have before college, actually even more since I spent a lot more time at home and with my parents than I did when I was in high school. One thing I learned during the pandemic was how easy it was to fall back into old patterns. When I first returned to my hometown, although we were under extreme circumstances, it felt like I had never left my city after a while. And now that I came back to New York, it feels the same way on the other way round.

When I was back in my parents' house, I didn't think about basic tasks like doing laundry or cooking or cleaning the house; they were all kind of given. And I only appreciate those things when I'm in New York, and I have to do those things by myself.

Although sometimes things can get a little too much, I love feeling responsible for myself. Of course, sometimes I wish that there was someone else who was doing these tasks for me, but getting even the smallest things done makes me feel like I can do anything. And that confidence is probably the most crucial thing college has taught me. When I look back, I can clearly see how I changed during my time in New York, and I am very grateful for it. I was as clueless as I could be, and I would never have had this sense of maturity if I didn't leave home and traveled to a different time zone.