Technology is constantly advancing, from smartphones to 3D printing to self-driving cars. While others prefer taking online classes over the semester, we have struggled to learn the accounting curriculum online. We will explain in detail what made online learning difficult in learning accounting. 

 

The first issue is the sudden transition to online learning. It has forced us to adapt to a new environment, which caused some hindrances in our ability to learn effectively. Not only do the students have to learn and study their theories, but they also have to learn and navigate through the online platforms. Because many of us are accustomed to the traditional classroom setting, our lack of face-to-face learning made it difficult to learn the fundamental accounting theories. We could not directly ask the professors for help due to the delay in communications. As a result, it became a challenge to understand the content more thoroughly. It is more evident with more complex topics, such as governmental fund accounting and derivative accounting. 

 

Another obstacle was keeping up with the lecture via Zoom, Big Blue Button, or Microsoft Teams. This obstacle is in congruence with our individual working environments at home, which can sometimes be a distraction. We have traditionally separated school from home. We acknowledge that we receive homework, but we try to maintain an academic-life balance. Even if some of us love school, we still need to separate it from our personal life in maintaining our mental health. For example, we may face an immediate obligation to our families during a lecture and lose focus on the lesson. One student said, "We have different learning styles. It is not easy for everyone to adapt to the online learning environment. Some prefer hands-on. Others are visual learners. However, even learning through a screen is different than learning in person." One factor is the difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning. 

 

Various perspectives exist. Some students feel that some professors are unaware of the students' situations at home. Another student has expressed, “Learning online challenges your time management because professors may think that the students have a lot of time on their hands, enabling them to assign more work. In reality, they have other duties at home that make it hard to focus. But you have to find your own motivation.” 

 

Despite the unexpected and difficult circumstances, we still remain optimistic about our education. The pandemic has caused many of us distress and several adjustments to our current life. Nevertheless, we are determined to embrace the changes in our lives. We constantly have to innovate to keep up with the changing times. As long as we continue to persevere and strive towards reaching our goals, we can overcome any challenges we face.