OSU Students Using Zoom – Helpful Tips!

Regardless of your opinions on Zoom, it has no doubt been a necessity for us here at Ohio State. I’ve had some great experiences, and some bad ones. Let’s talk about some helpful tips for OSU students using Zoom.

Zoom and Devices

What even is an iPhone anyway?

I’m an Android and Windows user primarily, so I admit that I’m not a very good person to consult about troubleshooting for Mac, iPad and iPhone. Most students at OSU have Apple devices for using Zoom. However, I’ve found some useful articles about this subject for you here and here.

When it comes to Android and Windows, I’ve got you covered! Let’s get started.

Zoom for Windows

Without my Surface Pro I don’t know how I would have gotten through Junior year.

For a more focused setup, OSU students will probably will be using a laptop or desktop for Zoom. Make sure that you have a good Internet connection. Video conferencing can use a lot of data, so the better your Internet connection is, the better experience you will have.

Two problems you may run into are your microphone and camera settings. In the top right of Zoom’s main screen, click your profile picture and then click settings. You’ll find your video and audio tabs here.

Video

Don’t worry, your O-Chem TA definitely isn’t watching you pick your nose during your lecture.

Under video, you can select the webcam that you’d like to use. Most laptops have an internal camera, but if you need one you might need to get a webcam. Make sure that the camera you are trying to use is connected to your computer and select it here.

A silly problem I had once is that Zoom would only use the rear camera on my Surface Pro rather than the front camera. How confusing! Despite my confusion, I have not decided to switch over to iPad like many of you here at OSU using Zoom.

Audio

Make sure you find the oldest microphone possible and use your best Transatlantic accent. Seriously though, any microphone will do.

For this, make sure that you select the correct speaker and microphone. Try to use a headset or set of earbuds with a microphone, and always make sure that you have headphones selected as your speaker. This can help prevent echo and feedback.

If you have to, use the microphone on your laptop, but use your headphones as your speaker. This should eliminate feedback so long as you aren’t using your laptop’s speakers as the output device as well.

I’ve heard bad feedback from even professors using Zoom here at OSU. If you can’t seem to fix bad feedback and echo, try muting yourself when you aren’t speaking.

Zoom for Android

My wallet is crying looking at this Galaxy S20.

For Android smartphones, you’ll find the settings in the lower right hand corner of the main screen. You won’t have as complicated settings here for audio and video, the app will simply use your phone’s camera and microphone. If you have headphones with a microphone connected, it should use that microphone as the input by default.

Under the meeting tab however, you’ll find some helpful options such as always mute my microphone which can help keep your classmates from hearing you munching on Cheetos when you enter a lecture late. Trust me, you aren’t alone, fellow OSU Zoom user.

Zoom On, Buckeyes!

You know now that I look at him again, Brutus seems a bit scary…

I hope that helps you improve your experience as an OSU student using Zoom. These are some troubling times right now, but hopefully things will get better soon and you can enjoy skipping your in-person classes instead!

Thanks for reading, and Go Bucks!