Navigating an Online Ivey Experience
At this stage in the pandemic, students have a fair amount of experience quickly adapting to online learning depending on the current COVID-19 restrictions. Strategies students find helpful when it comes to succeeding in online school often differ depending on the structure of their program and the design of their courses. HBA2 student Nicholas Rockandel, who also happens to be my brother, had an entirely virtual HBA1 experience. He was grateful to experience the fall semester of HBA2 in-person before quickly having to adapt once more to online school for the beginning of the winter semester. I have seen first-hand the different ways in which he’s adapted to maximize a predominately online Ivey experience, so I wanted to interview him to share some of his tips and strategies to succeed in this program in a virtual setting.
Can you introduce yourself?
Sure, my name is Nick, and I’m in HBA2. Before Ivey, I was in social sciences specializing in economics. My main interests are in capital markets, investing, and law. At Ivey, I’m a general member of two clubs, the Ivey Finance Club and Ivey Asset Management Club. Outside of school, I like to ski, play chess, and watch car racing.
What have been a few obstacles you’ve encountered from completing the majority of the HBA program online? How did you overcome them?
You always hear about the ‘section experience’ in HBA1 and the comradery that’s shared with your section mates. This was an aspect of the program I had been looking forward to, especially coming from social science, where all of my classes were hundreds of people. Last year, we never officially had the chance to meet and bond as an entire section in person. We couldn’t really overcome the lack of in-person meetings last year because of obvious safety reasons and restrictions. But, where possible, there were opportunities to meet in small groups for projects. The Ivey building stayed open for the majority of the year, so we would try and complete our 48s in person whenever safe and possible. As well, we held a few different section sports days at Gibbons Park and Victoria Park.
Especially during online school, I know another obstacle many people faced was staying consistent with contribution. Considering it makes up a good portion of every class grade, it’s important to stay consistent with it, but I found it harder to contribute over Zoom versus in-person. I think some teachers also noticed people struggling with contribution because of Zoom fatigue. They began cold calling more frequently when classes were over Zoom to keep engagement levels high, which benefited myself and many others. My tip would be to make sure you’re well prepared for every part of the case, not just one specific part you plan on contributing for and discussing in class, so that you’re ready for any cold calling.
The last obstacle I’ll mention is likely more common to students in any program, not just Ivey. After a couple weeks of online learning in January, I started to find it pretty difficult to maintain focus on a screen. I had a few strategies and habits that helped me overcome this obstacle that I can share: I put my phone in a draw so it’s physically out of reach, I turn on do not disturb on my laptop so there are no incoming notifications, and I maintain a consistent morning schedule, which means not waking up five minutes before joining a Zoom call.
At the end of the day, online school doesn’t mean you’re not getting the same learning opportunities and education. Your experiences learning in a remote setting will look different, but you’re still covering the same content, completing the same assessments, and learning from your classmates. Make the most of the situation, and lean on your section mates for support.
What are a couple of strategies that you think have been the most successful in terms of helping you succeed in the program in a remote setting?
My first strategy is to always prepare for remote exams as if they’re closed book. Even if you’re told it’s an open book exam, prepare as if it was in-person and closed book. Don’t rely on flipping through your notes during the assessment—there is never enough time for this, and it’s not an effective strategy.
More specific to Ivey, I would encourage students to make the most of learning teams. If you’re unfamiliar with them, learning teams are groups of around six students who are encouraged to meet two-three times a week to go over all the case preparation before class. You can compare answers, ask questions if you’re unsure about something, and learn from one another. Formal learning teams are unique to the HBA program, so I would definitely suggest making the most of these groups, even if you don’t have any questions, because you can still learn from other people’s approaches to cases.
What are some resources available to HBA students that you think are useful to take advantage of?
Students can take advantage of all the resources offered on main campus. But, specifically to Ivey, I think there are three unique resources students can turn to. First, the HBAA is a student association that has many useful resources, like tutors, mentors, and overall peer supports. You also have an OWL (Orientation Week Leader), who is similar to a Soph. They’re assigned to you for Orientation Week, but you can contact them at any time throughout the year. In HBA1, you will also have a section head who is a faculty member. Every section is assigned a faculty member who will connect with you throughout the year, both as a section and through one-on-ones. They can answer any questions you may have about the school or program, you can approach them if you ever need to talk about something, and they can advocate to your professors for you.