College and COVID-19
A year ago one of the most devastating pandemics hit the globe and rationally changed the lives of nearly every person on earth. One of the heavily hit demographics affected by this virus was college students that would drastically change the way they pursued their degree. Students had to face mental and physical challenges that would alter their learning environment and quickly adapt to the new way Americans we’re living their daily lives. The entire scale of the impact and how much this affects these important times in one's life may be unknown until quite some time. It’s hard to tell and measure how COVID-19 limited these students and how it will affect them in the future job market and the quality of education they received
At first, I thought it would benefit from working at home and having your own time to choose when you complete assignments and flexible time for class. However, I quickly found myself wanting to back into the classroom. I missed college’s social aspects and seeing my friends in person rather than over a computer screen. I also missed the in-class assignments and collaboration from peers. I firmly believe that you are more engaged when you are in a group setting actively working on assignments together in person because at home you can quickly become unmotivated. Distractions at home quickly became a problem as well, as I found myself waiting for the last possible due date for my assignments. I also miss the interactions I would have with my professors and getting a chance to experience a collaborative school environment. Although the professors did their best to present the information to the students virtually, I still believe that it hindered many students' learning and could have benefited from in-class sessions. Many students reported mental health issues as well as they felt alone on their journey graduating when college is supposed to be a time of interacting and networking with your peers. Many opportunities could have been missed and could drastically affect the way their future careers play out. Furthermore, the economy took a big a big hit as a result and new college graduates may experience difficulties finding their careers.
As COVID-19 begins to calm down and more and more vaccines become available, there is hope for the future to return to normal lives. California recently has open-ended backup and the mandate if you vaccinated allows you to not wear a mask outdoors. Furthermore, California State San Marcos has allowed the action to return to campus if you are vaccinated. So it seems like slow progress has been made but it is hard to tell when things will return to like they were in 2019. I believe that social interaction will be changed forever as a result and the emphasis on staying healthy and sanitation will be the new norm. It has been an interesting experience for everyone involved and people had to endure many changes especially the youth. It is interesting to think that one day we will be written in the history books looking back at when COVID-19 changed life for everyone forever.
