Unmasking the Fully Online Students

It had been two weeks since that fateful message from the school landed in my inbox, announcing the beginning of a new school year for me as a fully online student.

The contents of that email held the key to my virtual existence from now on. I'd spent those weeks attending countless seminars, each focused on the intricacies of online assignments, grading systems, and the digital labyrinth that awaited.

But what truly set this experience apart was the feature that sparked my curiosity—online students could witness the onsite students through their webcams. As an online student, I had the privilege of observing their every move while I remained invisible, my camera reserved solely for quizzes, exams, or oral recitations.

I wasn't keen on turning on the camera and revealing my face to the class every day. Who cares if others label me as trying to be cool or simply cringe-worthy?

Tomorrow marked the first day of class, and I couldn't help but ponder my confidence level for introducing myself to my fellow online students and the onsite students.

It had been a staggering eight years since I embarked on this fully online educational journey, hopping from one school to another. But tomorrow was different. Tomorrow, I would need the courage to break through the digital barrier that separated us.

I reached for my phone and checked the time; it was already 9 a.m. Stepping out of my room, I found breakfast waiting for me at the doorstep. My parents had left a hotdog with eggs and rice—a simple yet satisfying meal. Placing it on my computer table, I headed back to the mirror.

It had been ages since I'd looked at myself in the mirror. I had deliberately avoided my own reflection, unable to bear the sight of my own face. Today, I dared to face it. I examined my black eyes and blue hair, and with a deep breath, I began to speak.

"Hi..."

The sight of my mouth moving as I uttered the word was a strange sensation. I continued to practice, talking to my own reflection. It felt as though I was rehearsing for something significant.

After my practice session, I headed back to my room and enjoyed my breakfast. The delicious hotdog, egg, and rice filled my stomach. A glass of water later, and I was ready to face the day.

Just as I settled in, a notification chimed from my computer, pulling me back into the digital world.

Krinng!

I couldn't resist the urge to check it out—a new message in ViewMail, an app exclusive to Nuestro University students. It contained announcements and vital information. However, this one was marked as "important."

"STUDENT ROSTER"

My brows furrowed. Were they serious? Sending the student roster to all the students? Shouldn't that information be exclusive to the teachers? But there was more to it. Under the student roster was our class schedule, a complex web of classes from Monday to Friday.

Allow me to explain.

Monday and Tuesday featured two subjects:

12:30 PM to 2 PM: First subject

2 PM to 3:30 PM: Second subject

A 15-minute recess was sandwiched between classes. Onsite students flocked to the canteen, while fully online students could grab a snack, take a bathroom break, or simply relax.

After the recess, from 3:45 PM to 5 PM, we had a homeroom meeting. It was a fascinating concept to be a spectator of the lives of onsite students during these homeroom meetings, and perhaps it would be useful when they needed a gentle reminder or two.

Wednesday and Thursday followed a similar pattern, with only one subject from 3:45 PM to 5 PM, which alternated between physical education and Filipino.

Fridays introduced a twist. We had an 8:30 AM to 9 AM homeroom meeting, followed by a day devoted to completing assignments on LearningLoom—an online platform where we could access course materials, complete assignments, and submit assessments. It felt like a digital version of a parent checking in on their child's progress.

I scrolled back up to examine the student roster. There were fifty of us listed, all part of Grade 11 STEM - Kepler, the name of our section. Each name of my classmates was a mystery; there were no distinctions between onsite and fully online students.

It was a secret yet to be unveiled. One thing was certain—I was part of the fully online student faction.

Our homeroom teacher's name intrigued me, and I couldn't help but wonder if he would treat the online and onsite students equally.

Perhaps it was too optimistic to expect such equality, given the inherent differences. My mind whirled with thoughts and questions, causing fatigue to creep in.

I decided to rest my head on the bed and set an alarm for 10 AM, planning to skip lunch and dinner. A long, uninterrupted sleep was what I yearned for—a chance to forget my concerns and look forward to the first day of class.

I stirred, awakening to the soft morning light that spilled through my window, carrying with it the warmth of the sun. Groggily, I reached for my phone to check the time.

The numbers on the screen illuminated my reality, and it was already 10 a.m. Below the time, the date was boldly displayed: August 7, 2023.

"Ah, today's the day," I mumbled to myself as I contemplated the significance of this date. It was, after all, the first day of class, a new beginning.

With a newfound sense of urgency, I leaped out of bed, eager to start the day. I swung open my bedroom door and discovered a tray of breakfast that my parents had lovingly prepared, waiting for me.

I picked it up, taking in the familiar aroma that always seemed to comfort me. Without hesitation, I sat down and began to eat, savoring each bite as I contemplated the day ahead.

After breakfast, I made my way to the bathroom, where a refreshing shower helped wash away the last remnants of sleep. I emerged feeling revitalized and ready to tackle the day's challenges. 

As I dressed, I chose for a red t-shirt and pants. I had always been partial to pants when I was alone. It was a small choice, but it made me feel more put together, less like a slacker person.

I needed that boost of confidence, a reminder that I was in control and ready to face whatever lay ahead.

With my clothes in place and my resolve strengthened, I was prepared to take on the world.

As I settled into my computer chair, the clock on my phone displayed 10:45 a.m. I patiently waited for the ClassConnect session to begin. The link was right there on my screen, but I knew I had to wait until 12:30 pm to join it.

ClassConnect was a familiar app to all of us Nuestro University students. It was the platform on which all our online classes took place.

It offered features like mic and camera options, as well as screen sharing capabilities for presentations and reporting.

So, I bided my time, watching the minutes tick away on my phone screen. 10:45 am turned into 11:00 am, then 11:30 am, and finally, it reached 12:00 pm. I knew I was getting closer to the moment I could click that "join" button.

At last, when the clock struck 12:30 pm, I eagerly clicked the join button. In an instant, I was redirected to our online class. The camera feed showed our homeroom teacher's perspective.

I noticed an onsite student in the Nuestro University classroom, and there were six of us in the online class, including four students whose cameras were turned off. I could see their names and profile pictures.

One of my online classmates had an anime profile picture. That caught my attention, making me wonder if this would be an interesting class. The other three had plain logo profile pictures with just the first letter of their first names.

Then there was Kai Legazpi, a boy who left the session abruptly. I questioned whether he was part of our fully online student group or if he had mistakenly joined our section's link. But it seemed impossible since the link was only shared with fully online students in our section. Maybe his internet connection had lagged?

Setting these thoughts aside, I focused on the teacher's camera feed. It showed the onsite students, who appeared to be quite talkative. Eventually, the camera turned towards our adviser, and he began to speak.

"Hi there, online students!"

His greeting took me aback, leaving me unsure of how to respond. To my surprise, the fully online students reacted by clicking the like and heart buttons. The adviser smiled in response.

As a new student, I was still learning the ropes, and this interaction left me bewildered.

Our adviser, however, seemed quite serious as he turned the camera back to the onsite students, hushing their chatter.

"Quiet, class. We're going to have our first day of school now, and I'll introduce myself," he announced.

He turned towards the whiteboard, wrote his name—Archie Garcia—and continued, "My name is Archie Garcia, and I'm 26 years old, and I'll be your Filipino teacher and homeroom adviser for Grade 11 - Kepler, your section."

"Now it is time for yourselves to introduce your names," the teacher declared.

With those words, I felt a lump in my throat, and I nervously swallowed it down. It was strange; I had spent eight years as a fully online student, transitioning between various virtual classrooms and adapting to different online platforms.

But this guy, our new teacher, had a presence that managed to make me nervous. Who was he, and why was he having this effect on me? I considered myself a seasoned veteran of online learning after all these years, yet in this moment, I felt like I was back to square one, a rookie once more, as I am a new student at Nuestro University.

Sir Archie turned the camera back to us, revealing his face once more, and said, "How about we start with the fully online students first?"

The students on-site were all abuzz with excitement, shouting, "Yes sir! Start with the online students first!"

"On cam! On cam! On cam!" They chanted enthusiastically, like a cheer for us.

My legs trembled uncontrollably, and I attempted to still them with my trembling hands. It was a futile effort.

I couldn't seem to calm my nerves. Sir Archie scanned the list of our names as if searching for the first victim to introduce.

"Umm... first, let's start with Arlo Gonzales. State your hobbies and what you expect for this school year," he finally said.

Arlo Gonzales? That was the name of the mysterious anime profile guy. Now I was even more curious to see his face. As the camera turned on, it revealed him.

He had black hair, dark eyes, and a shy smile that seemed to convey his reluctance to interact with anyone. He preferred to remain a mystery rather than seek popularity by showing his face.

"G-good morning, everyone," Arlo began hesitantly. "My name is Arlo Gonzales. I'm sixteen years old, and my hobbies include watching anime, reading manga, and reading light novels."

What? My eyes widened in surprise. His hobbies were an exact match for mine. Was he really so similar to me? Did he understand me better than I thought?

Arlo continued, "Besides that, I'm a novelist. I write chapters for my novel, and I hope to publish a volume before the end of the school year. As for my genre, I like isekai and adventures! What I expect for this school year is to have fun! And that's all, sir."

From his appearance, with his black hair and eyes, Arlo seemed like an average high school student. He had nailed the art of being low-key while harboring a novelist identity on the side.

If I were to make a friend here, he might just be the first person I'd approach. I had a feeling we could become best friends.

The reactions from our classmates were mixed.

"Wow, a novelist?"

"So cool!"

Sir Archie, our teacher, chimed in, "Okay, Arlo, so you're a novelist?"

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Well, it's quite rare to find a novelist like you. Very rare."

Arlo responded confidently, "There are many, sir. It's just that they don't show it. It takes courage to reveal my other side."

With that, Arlo turned off his camera and microphone, leaving a sense of intrigue in his wake. 

And Sir Archie found another online student he called out.

"Then let's move forward to our second online student, Zavier Villanueva. Please introduce yourself and kindly turn on your camera so we can see your face. Thank you."

"Yes, sir... ehem... ehem... mic test... mic test... can you hear me, sir?"

"Yes, we can hear you, Zavier, loud and clear."

"Okay, sir... my name is Zavier Villanueva, and I'm sixteen years old. I come from Nuestro University from the last school year, and my hobbies include playing the guitar and writing scripts, and I'm also into basketball. Um... my expectation for this school year is to have a fun and exciting journey."

"Okay, Zavier, thank you so much!"

"Thank you, sir," he replied with a smile before turning off his camera.

"Now for the third one... Marla, can you introduce yourself to us?"

"Good afternoon, sir. My name is Marla Lopez, and I'm sixteen years old. My hobbies include costume design, fashion design, and graphic design. My expectations for this school year are to experience excitement and joy."

"Okay, Marla, it seems like all of you are looking forward to a fun and exciting school year, huh?"

"Yes, sir. We want a positive school year since Arlo, Zavier, and I were classmates in grade 10, so we have similar expectations for this school year too," Marla explained before turning off her camera and microphone.

"Maybe that's what online students want, sir, haha!" one of the onsite students chimed in.

"Okay... okay... maybe that's true. But for the last one, the last online student who will be introduced is... Remy Lim. Can you open your camera and introduce yourself to us?"

At that moment, I felt the nervousness coursing through me. My legs and hands trembled as I hesitated near the "turn on camera" option.

I kept repeating to myself, "Come on, Remy... just click it. It's just a camera. You did this in front of the mirror yesterday, so you can do this..."

With a deep breath in and out, I finally mustered the courage to activate my camera.

Sir Archie, noticing my hesitation, asked, "Remy... Remy, are you there?" as if to make sure I was still actively participating in the online class.

I replied by turning on my camera, and he said, "Oh, he turned on his camera."

"Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Remy Lim. I am sixteen years old, and my hobbies include watching anime, reading manga, reading light novels, and online novels." I paused as Sir Archie seemed to have something to say.

"Alright, Remy, then you share the same hobbies with Arlo? In terms of hobbies?"

"Yes, sir, we have the same hobbies, and I hope that he and I can get along."

Arlo turned on his microphone and replied, "Just because we have the same hobbies, Remy, doesn't mean we'll automatically get along. I'll get to know you better, especially your... preferences."

Did he just ask about my taste in the genres of anime, manga, and novels?

"Yeah, it might take a while, Arlo."

"It will be," Arlo agreed, turning off his microphone.

I continued, "My expectation for this school year is... just to pass this school year. That's all, sir."

"Okay, thank you, Remy! It seems you have a straightforward goal."

"Of course, sir. I just like being straightforward."

With that, I turned off my camera and microphone. All the online students had finished introducing themselves, and now it was the turn for the onsite students in Grade 11 - Kepler.