With the advent of Zoom came a new set of social norms. Amongst those were a newly adapted set of ways to bid your professor farewell. Given that we haven’t been vaccinated yet–and are therefore still under the tyranny of Zoom, we here at Wesleying thought it may be useful to run through the various options one has when it comes to leaving a zoom meeting. How exactly do you say goodbye?
1. The classic farewell
“Classic” doesn’t mean the best method—I hesitate to imply that any of these are better than the rest. I count this one as classic given how common it is in my own classes. This farewell consists of turning on your microphone just before departing to leave the class (professor and classmates included) with an assertive “thank you.”
This one is really for those who miss being in a real classroom. It replicates the feeling of running out the door after not having said a word for the full one hour and twenty minutes and still hoping that this final farewell counts towards your participation grade. It’ll also probably help your professor feel seen so there’s really no downside.
2. The full send
The full send is a statement piece. To preform this good-bye all you have to do is smash the “leave meeting” button the second class is over. If you’re anything like me this will give you the rush of your life. Bonus points if you leave when the class is over but the discussion isn’t.
3. The silent wave
Out of all the Zoom goodbyes this is by far the most common. Since you’ve had your mic off for the majority of the class, it only feels tasteless to turn it on now that you’ve made it to the end. Out of a sort of sad respect for your professor and classmates you instead look at them, flopping your hand back and forth as you hover your finger over the “leave meeting” button. “They have no idea,” you’ll think to yourself. As your finger descends onto the mouse you can see the melancholy look in your classmates eyes and wonder why you didn’t unmute yourself to say goodbye.
4. The turn-your-camera-back-on-before-departing
This one is somewhat less common, but can be very powerful. Picture this: you’ve left your camera off the entire class, yet you’ve been playing close attention. Maybe it’s just one of those days. Now the end of class rolls along and you want to let your professor know you’ve been there all along. So what do you do? The answer is obvious: turn you camera back on and screech into your mic, “Have a good weekend.” This will leave such an impression that your professor will never again question why you had your camera off in the first place.
5. The power play
This is literally the exact same as the previous except you don’t turn your camera back on at the end. You are a phantom.
6. The visit-your-professor-to-say-goodbye
We all have those days where we’re feeling a little avant-garde. This goodbye is certainly unorthodox, but could score you some serious brownie points come your final grade. Instead of keeping it digital, why not go to your professor’s house and knock on their door. “Goodbye, see you Monday.” You have transcended earthly existence. (Wesleying does not condone this behavior).