As a student, I remember the exciting  journey that I used to make every day from my hostel room at National Institute of Design (NID), to the Studio/Classroom.

It was one of the most exciting times of the day when indulging in conversations over chai would occasionally become more important than the very class that I was going to. Sometimes spotting an annoying peer from a distance would be the cause to change my entire route just to avoid the person that would result in getting late for class anyhow.

This walk/bike ride/ bicycle ride/etc. was so powerful that it used to shape the rest of the day in a very interesting manner. The part I enjoyed the most was the unpredictability of that routine. Not knowing who one will meet, whether it rains suddenly or when one realizes that something’s been forgotten and has to go all the way back. In my opinion, these were a few things that enabled me to think on my feet as a student, and to build valuable ownership skills in the space I was in – the campus- in a much deeper way.

In this Covid 19 pandemic situation, I often wonder whether going online can ever entail a similar feeling. As a student you wake up, tap your phone and you are in a class along with so many
others in a matter of a few seconds. So now the random friends you used to meet on the way have been replaced by notifications from them via different apps and even though the unpredictability of the messages is still there, it is in the enclosed spaces of our devices.

So, the thoughts that arise in my mind are, does this journey from the bed to the chair and table, or oftentimes on the bed itself come anywhere close to the journey from your hostel/home to
classroom/studio.

Then why do we call it going online, where are we going?

Author:
Pritam Saha, Assistant Professor, Unitedworld Institute of Design (UID)

Disclaimer: The opinions / views expressed in this article are solely of the author in his / her individual capacity. They do not purport to reflect the opinions and/or views of the College and/or University or its members.