There is no doubt Covid 19 has affected everyone in different ways, forcing society to adapt to safety changes and that includes college students.

Near the end of the 2019-2020 spring semester, many college students were forced to leave their campus, return home, and continue with their courses online.  In fact, since the start of the 2020-2021 school year, most college students have yet to return to campus and is still continuing with their courses online. There is no determined date for students returning  to campuses, and the California State Universities have already announced school closures for the spring semester.

A few LBHS alumni college students recently shared their experiences of this transition.  Arianna Badillo, who attends Grand Canyon University, Paige Toscano, who attends Merced College, and Lauren McCullough, who attends Washington State, say that distance learning has changed their lives as college students.

McCullough summed up her college experience the best when she said, “Instead of a mile walk to class with a bag of books and friends, now I just roll out of bed, make a cup of coffee and click a zoom link. I work more now than when I was in class. As long as I get the work done, I’m good. There’s no interaction. I haven’t seen any of my classmates’ faces, and my professors have no idea who I am; it’s not really fun. But the only plus is I am at home with very little distractions, so getting work done is doable.”

Many colleges closed completely, eliminating many activities, cafeterias, and social areas.  Badillo said she misses,  “Having easy access to everything that a college campus has to offer.” College is supposed to be about new experiences and starting a new way of life. Living without parents for the first time, being the only one responsible for yourself, and being educated personally by professors in a classroom are some of the things Badillo feels she is missing out on.

Unfortunately, college students feel the difference in the teaching methods from the physical classroom to online teaching.  Toscano responded, “I feel they are limited to teaching and I understand they are doing the best they can, but it doesn’t work. I feel it is all about finishing the assignment instead of learning.” As a science major, McCullough shared that without the lab sections of her classes, the hands-on learning is lost through online assignments.

One positive thing from covid-19 shutting down college campuses is educational expenses seem to have gone down. Not having to be there on campus takes some expenses out of the cost such as housing and food. Toscano said, “My educational expenses have gone down; I don’t have to pay for a parking pass or health fee.”

To sum it all up the way colleges operate now is not the way many thought college life would be, but society is living through a historical pandemic. The online learning is not ideal but is doable, and hopefully, something that can end very soon for students trying to complete their majors.