Q&A with Bridget Brown
Major: German, Scandanavian, Dutch (German emphasis)
Minor: Psychology
Year in school: Senior
How did your classes change to accommodate distance learning and other needs? What do you miss about being on campus?
The majority of my professors made the transition fairly seamless; we met on Zoom and were still able to do the majority of the originally planned work. While I missed being on campus and seeing my friends in person, I appreciated the chances to connect virtually with my peers via Zoom, Google Hangouts, and email.
What are some ways your instructors, advisors, peers, and/or others at the U have supported and encouraged you during this time?
Professor Ross Etherton (GNSD) and the way he transitioned to alternative instruction kept up the energy and excitement that we held for his class, even while away from campus. We met on Zoom during our normally scheduled class period and still had the chance to have group discussions and converse semi-normally.
Working with Backpack remotely also really helped me through this transition. Having a group of peers who were all facing similar issues and being able to continue to work as a team and socialize as friends really made the best of this situation.
How does your liberal arts education inform how you think about what’s going on?
My liberal arts education has helped me analyze different aspects of our lives during COVID-19. From medical to social and economic topics, I've really appreciated my broad sphere of learning and my ability to look at this situation from multiple angles.
How are you staying connected with others? What are some creative ways you’ve changed up your daily routine?
I've stayed in touch with some faraway friends by playing video games and voice-calling each other, as well as having Zoom social hours with friends and family. I also have been able to rediscover some of my old hobbies, such as macrame and digital drawing.
What inspires you?
The ability to digitally connect with people inspires me. While we may not be in the same city, state, or even country as one another, we have found ways to connect virtually and create a truly global community.
What have you learned about yourself through this experience? Has it helped you focus on what’s important to you?
I have learned that even when I'm not doing much, I still need to use my planner; otherwise, I become more stressed about what I'm not doing. If I have some sort of goal for the day, I feel better about myself, and I end up getting more than just that goal accomplished as well.
