Being a Remote PGR: The Pros and Cons by Jeryl Shawn Tan

Last year, I was fortunate to receive an offer to be admitted at York St John University as a postgraduate researcher (PGR). Now in my second year in the program, I am grateful for the opportunities provided to me by the university and my well-respected supervisors that allow me to expand my horizons as a researcher and psychologist, and to pursue my research interest in understanding perfectionism and its effects on the wellbeing of Filipino university students.   

I am also grateful that I can undergo the program while staying in my home country, the Philippines. Doing distance or remote learning is perhaps the most viable option for me because of its convenience, notably in terms of finances and time management. Distance learning allows me to continue my day job of teaching and to do endeavors that I can more easily keep track of while I am in the Philippines. I also believe that the amount of learning I receive remotely is similar to that which one would receive on-campus. For as long as I have stable internet connection at home, I can develop and learn knowledge and skills through the PGR sessions, communications with my supervisors, and online library resources, to name a few.

On the other hand, distance learning has some drawbacks. One would be those arising from occasional unstable internet connection, resulting in laggy audio and poor video quality. I have experienced this during a few of my supervisory meetings. In addition, the university resources and services that I may have access to will be quite limited as I am off campus - for instance, access to books which are only available at the university's physical library and real time resolution of technical problems and program-related inquiries because of differences in time (Manila is ahead of York by 7 hours) and also due to my inability to deal with them in a more direct and personal manner. Finally, and the most notable drawback, is the lack of social interaction. Being on-campus would have been a great opportunity to know my supervisors and colleagues professionally and personally, to further enhance my social skills, and to learn more about the university and the local culture. Surely, the availability of emails, video conferencing platforms, and chatrooms makes it easier for people to communicate, but talking in front of a laptop can be demotivating since it does not bring the same interpersonal experience compared to face-to-face interactions.

Overall, distance learning has its benefits, especially for me as a working student in the Philippines, but as enumerated earlier, it also has its drawbacks that one has to consider. At the end of the day, it is up to the student to weigh the pros and cons, determine which between distance learning or being on-campus is more suitable for them, and make the most out of their situation.