If you are a horror movie fan, you probably like to watch the scariest film that you can find on the internet. But even the toughest hearts get scared of this. Forget jump scares, forget ominous music, forget that iconic creak of the door in a dark hallway, absolutely nothing compares to the quiet buzz of your phone, followed by the notification that reads “Assignment Graded.”
Yes, you guessed it right. That is the Canvas app coming for you like how the “Nun” attacked in the “Conjuring” from the painting. Canvas is even scarier than the Duolingo owl. That creepy yet innocent green creature will definitely haunt your dreams, roast you like you don’t have any respect and motivate you to learn a new language all at the same time. It’s unsettling, yes, but not as much as the Canvas notifications. Those will derail your life at the worst possible moment, especially when you are having fun over break.
Canvas somehow knows you are not thinking about school and will deliberately enter your life, saying, “Oh, did you forget about me? Your educational responsibilities?” Duolingo will do the same, but in a lighter manner. It’s very predictable — once a day, the owl will fly into your life to remind you to complete your Spanish, keep your streak and then move on with life.
Canvas, on the other hand, is different. If Canvas had a motto, it would be “don’t let them know your next move” because you will never know when it is coming and what it will say — either a simple announcement from your professor or your midterm grades are released. You can place a bet that it’s almost never good news. There are also different versions of the tactics Canvas has to ruin your mood, from “Assignment Posted” to “Grade Changed” to “Assignment Missing” when you were very sure that you had submitted it before 11:59 p.m. last night.
You can easily skip the Duolingo owl’s threats if you want, but Canvas doesn’t provide that option. It enters with the audacity to change your grades, tank or raise your GPA and your entire quarter can hinge on what shows up on that app. You chase good grade streaks like it’s a reflex, instead of a chore that Duolingo presents.
Think of Canvas as the one person you’re obsessed with but who doesn’t reciprocate. You’re trapped in a never-ending pursuit, looking at your phone all the time for an affectionate gesture that typically ends in heartbreaking bad news.
Meanwhile, Duolingo is like the guy who likes you, but you don’t like him. He will be after you all day, even in the middle of an all-girls day out, reminding you that he needs attention as if that streak can’t be broken. It’s a subtle reminder, a shot he shoots that might work out.
At the end of the day, the Duolingo owl might be persistent and a good motivator for your language learning goals with that little threat it adds. But Canvas will always be the unpredictable, intrusive and powerful villain in life that is after one’s happiness. You can try your best to enjoy your breaks without those notifications, but you cannot escape them.
Even if the notifications are silent, once you open the app, you will be welcomed by the 109 new reminders about all the assignments being posted. But don’t be scared to ask Canvas to spare you from all assignments for a week; in my opinion, that’s what will end this pain. Forget the Canvas announcements and take motivation from the Duolingo owl while you relax over break, because that owl will be your green flag for some time.
