Crawford School of Public Policy

In our new ‘Study with’ series, we hear from Crawford’s students and graduates about their time studying public policy. Despite it bringing many challenges, COVID-19 has also opened up fresh opportunities for online study. In the coming weeks, our students will talk about their experiences studying online, and share their tips about how to make the most of it.

Living off campus, Crawford student Linh Pham discovered the perks of not having to travel to classes anymore, and found that Zoom chats actually provided her with an opportunity to talk more in classes, not less.

Not having to be on campus for classes meant Linh had the opportunity to try out new places to study and meet people.

At the same time, she enjoyed the fact that the only distance she had to cover was the one between her bed and her laptop, allowing her to study in comfortable clothing.

“Since I have always lived off-campus, the first thought that came to my mind was “What a relief – I will not have to catch the bus to school anymore!

“I have been craving a bit of human interaction now that classes are online, hence people would see me wander around Chifley, Hancock, Arts and Music Library, Marie Reay, as well as nearby cafés. My favourite place must be Study Room 3.33 in Hancock – it is spacious, sun-lit, and able to accommodate up to five people in accordance with social distancing regulations.

“Online classrooms should be commended for the time flexibility that many students, including myself, have greatly enjoyed. I could just wake up 10 minutes before each class, turn my laptop on, and attend lectures or tutorials in my comfortable pyjamas.”

On top of that, Linh was able to leverage the chat function to feel more comfortable interacting and contributing to class discussions.

Two courses in particular, Evidence and Analysis in Public Policy and Environmental Policy and Communications, really left an impression on her.

“The chat function on Zoom is also a huge advantage for me – since I normally did not speak up in in-person classes. With the chat box, I could voice my own thoughts immediately after someone made a point, without forgetting what I was about to say 30 seconds after, and that also did not interrupt anyone in class. Win-win right there.

“In short, the two courses had superb lecturers, thought-provoking content that has fundamentally transformed my way of thinking, and interesting online interactions (both formally on Zoom and informally on Twitter). 5/5, highly recommended for everyone.”

Sometimes, overcoming the challenges surrounding online study required a little bit of flexibility around finding the place with the best internet connection, patience, and a pinch of humour when technology wasn’t always playing along.

“On our last day in Cases in Contemporary Public Policy we had to deliver a five-minute online presentation as a group assignment. However, the day began with intermittent Internet for two on-campus members, which caused one to basically run around campus and end up somewhere outdoors for a more stable connection. Later on, when I was presenting my part, Zoom decided to suddenly grab everyone from breakout rooms back to the plenary room. Fortunately, we finished the presentation smoothly, thanks to every member’s diligence and other classmates’ understanding.”

To get the most out of online learning, Linh advises to pick the right time and right place to fully engage in studying.

Plus, she found that following your lecturers on Twitter provided her with a lot of interesting material that she otherwise wouldn’t have come across.

“My first tip is to identify a specific period of the day when your brain works best, and devote that period to study, ideally every day. For me, the ‘golden’ period would be from 2 to 3pm to 2 to 3am of the next day, hence I sincerely want to apologise to all lecturers and peers who had to work with me during any morning ever.

“The second tip is to go to the library, which I unfortunately missed out on during my first year. Oddly enough, I usually find myself concentrating better at the appearance of other hard-working students around me.

“Finally, create a Twitter account to follow your lecturers and tutors, if they use Twitter. Many Crawford lecturers and tutors are on Twitter, and they would share a lot of interesting, non-compulsory publications or news articles that are contemporary, practical, and relevant to your course (shoutout to Dr Colvin and Nic Badullovich for the hashtag #EMDV8007 and the official class emoji!).”