January 28, 2021 in Opinion As USC begins its third semester of online learning, many students are gradually adjusting to life and studies on a virtual campus. However, for students participating in classes asynchronously, there are still many obstacles to overcome, especially when it comes to class participation and in-class assignments. As more professors encourage student interactions within the class, asynchronous learning is becoming less flexible than it seems. Asynchronous classes were established to improve the online learning experience for students currently living overseas in different time zones. According to USC’s “Policy and Guidelines for Asynchronous Learning,” students taking classes that fall outside the 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. time range in their region can opt to receive asynchronous learning accommodations. This means that students can watch recordings of the class instead of participating in the live session. Asynchronous learning is especially helpful to international students. During the fall semester, USC had over 4,000 students studying from other countries, and a majority were from Asia, which is 11 to 17 hours ahead of the Pacific Time Zone and does not use Daylight Savings Time. To attend live classes, these students would need to stay up all night. In light of these clear challenges, asynchronous learning helps international students find a balance between their lives and studies.