"Lots of sun, endless sandy beaches and Art Deco style boardwalks are probably the most common associations about Florida for many people. Only very few, however, know that Florida also has one of the best public universities in the United States. The University of Florida ranks seventh among the state’s public universities and is comparable to WU Vienna in terms of student numbers (55,000 students).

My exchange semester has been extended due to COVID-19. That is why I am now tutoring the Marketing Metrics course of the master’s program online for the Institute for Retailing and Marketing. At the same time, a great opportunity came up to work as a teaching assistant at the University of Florida. ZOOM and Skype have become just as important in everyday life as Word or Excel. The need for organization has also increased significantly: Accuracy and flexibility are required, since the students have to be able to rely on us and we have to constantly adapt to new conditions and circumstances.

Moreover, I have noticed that the team spirit and sense of solidarity of the students and the teachers has been growing and that everyone is pulling together as we all pursue the same goal: to make the best of the situation!

I am convinced that we can draw important lessons for future teaching and I totally agree with Albert Einstein, who said: “In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.”

#stayathome in the Sunshine State, by Maximilian Kranewitter