For the first time in a long time, people aren’t having an issue finding somewhere to park at VSU. For the first time, maybe ever, many students are being forced to take their classes online because of the pandemic. These two things are definitely connected—a cause and effect situation.

However, there is another cause and effect going on here that we should be concerned about.

The issue of parking has been resolved for now, but students seem to be parking in a particularly bad spot—their online classes.

You see, what we mean is that students are showing up to their classes by logging in, but, for many, the effort stops there. Students are mentally putting themselves in park because they feel like their online classes aren’t real classes, therefore, these classes don’t require the same amount of effort that in-person classes require.

That is a dangerous way of thinking.

By underestimating the effect slacking off on online work can have on our career as a college student, we are literally setting ourselves up for failure.

Online classes are not preferred—by most students, at least—but they are classes nonetheless and we must do well in them in order to get our degree and finish our time here at VSU.

So, we must break out a planner, calendar, reminder apps in our phones or whatever it is that we use to stay organized and carve out some time during the week to focus on our online classwork. It is vital that we take responsibility for these classes, learn something and make them worth all of the money that it takes to sign up for them.

A failing grade is a failing grade whether it is earned in a classroom or at your house while you are letting yourself be distracted and unmotivated as your professor is giving a lecture or assigning homework. Professors want to help where they can, but they don’t want to hear the same old excuses when a student fails to submit an assignment. Would you?

There are only so many excuses that professors will accept and, honestly, excuses should be a last resort for us unless something that we can’t control hinders us from completing our schoolwork. We are students, but, more than that, we are adults who are preparing to take on a world that desperately needs capable and competent young professionals.

Everyone is struggling in some way or another, regardless of the ongoing pandemic. The pandemic is just the sour, moldy cherry on top. As adults, we have to adapt to changes. Required online classes are just the beginning of the many obstacles we will have to overcome as we prepare to venture out into the real world.

We know that you can do it. We know that we, ourselves, can do it. We wish you the best of luck as you push on.

This editorial reflects the general opinion of The Spectator staff.