Remote Learning Vs On-Campus Learning

Introduction:
The world has suffered countless plagues and virus outbreaks since the prehistoric times till date. Spanish
Flu, Swine Flu, Ebola, Zika Virus, and today's COVID-19; all these pandemics created an absurd lifestyle
for humankind for many months and sometimes years. But, in the end, education could not be stopped
because only education could provide the remedy through vaccines, medicines, and other remedies. But in
today's pandemic, the CORONA virus, universities have shut down, but education did not. The universities
have transformed into online-based libraries. However, some limitations obstruct a safe communication
method between the teachers and the learners. The lack of hard-copy resources from the library, inter-
dependency of the student-teacher relation for the better outcome of a classroom, and the insuring of a
refreshing study environment are the primary differences that should be dealt with during a compare and
contrast debate on on-campus education and remote learning.

Compare:
Through social distancing, the virus can be fought in a month or two. That means the campus is shut down
and with all the hard copy resources in the library too. But NSU has allowed access to some handy
resources, which could boost our education. Firstly, the lectures are interactive as the professor can be heard
and also can hear us with ease. It's effortless to ask a question and get the answer. Besides, the class lectures
can be recorded and viewed multiple times for a clearer understanding. It is very similar to the visits to the
faculty's office during his\her office hours. I can also access Grammarly premium with my NSU email ID
while checking my documents for grammatical errors.

Even though the faculties cannot be reached physically, it's very simple to email a faculty and organize a
Zoom or Google Meet meeting. That means it's the perfect alternative for utilizing the office hours of the
professor but from home. If it's a mathematical subject, the faculty can even share his screen to show
PowerPoint slideshows or soft copies of books and journals. If required, the traditional pen and paper can be
used to assist in specific problem-solving. From home or on-campus, the same level of support can be
appreciated with the development of a robust communication method between the students and the teachers.

I do not study at the NSU study hall very often because of the excessive noisy environment. It's more of a
recreational space rather than a study-place. I always head home after class if I am to study for a quiz or
mid-term scheduled the next day. There is no other peaceful environment for a study like home. I can be as
efficient as I am sitting in a classroom in front of my professor. The environment has to match the mood in
order to reach maximum efficiency. Things do not change much because the same lecture that I am to
receive on campus can be received at the comforts of a homely environment.

Contrast:
Absence of on-campus learning means the education is to be continued remotely through electronic devices
such as laptops, computers, and cell-phones. New researches show that the blue light emitted from the
display output of these devices accelerates blindness. Many students still have to have hard copies of every
single line they learn. Many students suffer from dizziness for elongated exposure to electronic displays. A
common problem is when many students are trying to access the same library website at the same time, the
site's data traffic limit reaches and sometimes crashes. A server-down problem may cause extreme
inconvenience to many students, especially if it takes too long for maintenance. Complete dependency on
online libraries and resources do more harm than good to many students.

For theoretical subjects, the faculties can be communicated effortlessly but for practical and technical
subjects, there is almost nothing that can be done without the physical presence of an instructor. It would be
hysterical to schedule a meeting with a professor to receive assistance in building a hardware project. Many
students in the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering departments are clueless about how their semester is
going to continue provided that they cannot meet their faculty supervisor in person. In the Microbiology and
Biochemistry department, the labs are shut down, and it's next to impossible to deal with viruses from the
student's homes. The remote learning lays an aggressive effect on students who require direct assistance in
their respective fields of work. Sometimes, the constant loss of connection or interruption due to signal loss
causes the students to miss out on vital parts of a lecture.

In all parts of the country, the telecom industries and broadband internet service providers (ISPs) could not
ensure an uninterrupted and reliable internet connection. Many students face extreme difficulties in
receiving proper signals to connect to the internet to attend classes. There has been a record of a student
walking over one kilometer and then hang on top of a tree for three consecutive hours to attend his online
classroom. Even though he was on top of a tree, it was not the most refreshing environment for study but
rather a precarious and dangerous situation. Not all students take the idea of study from home gladly as they
share a room with other people. It is incredibly inconvenient to find a proper study atmosphere for students
sharing a room with other people. Some students or their families or relatives may have been dreadfully
affected by the virus outbreak. As a responsible member of the family, many duties arise, which breaks
concentration from studies.

Conclusion:
No one knows how long this pandemic is going to last. But education cannot be stopped at any cost. The
numerous problems in studying from home must be addressed and solved as the social distancing may
persist for an indefinite period. Through sheer willpower, the primary source of study materials can be found
online. The internet is an encyclopedia that you can walk within any part of the world. Utilizing this infinite
source of knowledge to the betterment of learning is what humankind has to adapt in the coming days.
Through persistence and ingenuity, the communication gap can be resolved between the students and the
supervisors. Also, the absolute determination to excel may overpower all hazardous study conditions and
can retain the utmost concentration. Education should be free and boundless.