Students still adjusting to online transition after nine months
Some say it has felt like March for the past nine months. Many college students can agree.
With the drastic changes that occurred last spring semester due to COVID-19, students are still trying to adapt to the learning conditions.
About 60% of the student population at Salisbury University had to continue remote learning for the majority of classes this fall because of the global pandemic. This semester, students have had to modify their prioritization skills to be more organized, maintain a stable work ethic and strive to be engaging in the classroom (Zoom) in order to receive optimal success.
When COVID-19 first hit, colleges can’t express the immense pressures they were under when deciding the ways students could still learn material effectively. Over time, classroom curricula have changed, and so have the ways students manage to do their work.
Multimedia journalism major Aubrey Talbert, 19, is grateful to be back on campus this semester in Sea Gull Square after she was sent home in March from her residence hall. She said that classes are still a challenge remotely, but they are more engaging than her learning experience at home.
“Here at school, it wasn’t that bad because I was in a school environment,” Talbert said. “Living in Salisbury this fall has made me more motivated because I’m constantly reminded that I am here for one reason. Being stuck at home felt like a vacation almost, so I was less motivated.”
Some students feel as if there is more pressure than when the transition first begun.
Double major in communication and theatre performance Daelyn Funk, 19, has taken classes this fall that have brought excessive and overlapping assignments that she has never experienced before. Funk also works a part-time job, so this semester tested her limits when prioritizing certain tasks.
“There is no mercy this semester,” Funk said. “Professors came back to school this fall with a mindset that students have more time to do things if we are staying home.”
“That is not the case, and doubling the work does not benefit students.”
Being quarantined the majority of a nine-month period has caused students to develop a new and active daily schedule.
Sarah Beesley, 19 and a double major in multimedia journalism and Spanish, said that being active during the pandemic has helped her participate more eagerly with schoolwork. She wakes up every morning and makes it a goal to have a day full of productivity.
“What’s helped me best is developing a really recognizable pattern in my schedule,” Beesley said. “Getting up and making sure I’m not in bed or in the same place all the time helps me to stay engaged.”
With last semester ending with a pass/fail option, students said they were relieved with their grades. This fall, SU students were challenged with getting themselves back in a conscientious mindset with a thorough work ethic.
“It’s harder to keep track of your assignments when you don’t have any tangible things to turn in,” Beesley said. “Seeing my professors in-person allowed me to remember more assignments, so not having that experience makes everything a little foggy.”
“Online learning just disrupts a connection between students and the professor.”
