College During the Pandemic; What You or Your Loved One Can Expect
It’s safe to say that the class of 2020 has already missed out on traditional experiences (I got my diploma from a drive-thru). None of us could have expected or planned for Covid-19 to end our year so abruptly. We’ve now had plenty of time to think about how it’s going to impact our next year at college, and I’m sure we aren’t the only ones, either. Everyone I know who is already in college has been wondering how this year will be different from previous semesters. We’ve all been wondering; and so have universities.
There have been dozens of ‘solutions’ to the problem of coronavirus. Originally, the University of California planned to hold the entire fall semester online, though they have recently decided to start making plans for an in-person semester. Even so, these plans seem rushed and incomplete. I am attending the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities next year, and they recently shared with us some of their plans, all of which also seem a little… sparse. Lacking would be a good word, too.
Firstly, we will only be on campus from the beginning of September to the end of November. After Thanksgiving, our courses will be moved online. This seems to be a popular choice for universities around the country. The rational is that many students travel during the holidays, and by keeping us home they hope to stop a possible virus outbreak during the winter months. There will also be a tuition freeze for the following year… which means, basically, that if there is an outbreak of the virus and we have to move classes online, we will still be charged full price by the university.
Even so, there are still so many unknowns. We don’t know if we will be charged less for rooms and on campus housing. We don’t know how the coronavirus will impact school events. We don’t know how clubs will operate, how meals will be handled, or how we will be able to interact with our teachers. And the universities don’t know either. The University of Minnesota has been very helpful, and they have been doing their best to communicate and answer questions. Unfortunately, there are simply too many unknowns to clarify.
I hope you understand that I’m not trying to bash universities. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of colleges are doing these things and I get why. But I also understand the thousands of high school graduates who have decided to take a gap year for the 2020–21 academic season. Nobody really knows the details of what’s going to happen next year, but it’s safe to say that both new and returning college students are going to have to navigate online classes, social distancing, and mandatory mask-wearing. There’s even been talk of maintaining social distancing between roommates… which seems difficult to me.
But I digress. The point is, there are a lot of things to consider about the upcoming school year. This isn’t how I thought my first year at college would be, and I know that nobody else expected it either. I think the most important thing, especially for freshmen, is to take advantage of the internet. My biggest priority is finding people on campus that I can engage with and become friends with, and that is going to be a lot harder with all the restrictions we are going to have. Personally, I’ll be cyberstalking students as often as possible to see who I can meet.
Also, it could be a nice thing to end the semester a little early. I know it’s corny to say, “Look on the bright side,” but a small adjustment might be helpful for a lot of people. Nothing about this situation is normal, but that doesn’t mean it has to be terrible. We students just have to make sure we know what is going on. We should expect online classes, lots of masks, and social distancing. We should expect a shorter year and some extra rules. But we’ll also be safe and do everything to make the year amazing. After all, students are the customers. Universities are serving us, and we shouldn’t feel bad about voicing opinions or pushing for change. Get involved, get prepared, and get excited! It’s going to be hard to adapt, but nothing students can’t get through together.
