Will Students Continue to Attend Zoom University in 2021?
No student expected that their Fall 2020 university experience would be through a computer screen. With the rise in COVID-19 cases at the start of 2020, CSUN and other institutions switched to remote learning. As students look forward to the 2021 school year, many are hoping for a return to normality. As many faced hardship with the transition to online learning in the Fall semester, students are left with the decision to either continue their studies next year or not.
Michael Berger just had his first semester as a transfer student at CSUN. As much as he loves having freedom to work on his assignments at his own pace and have control over his schedule, he admits it gets difficult to teach himself five university level courses. With COVID-19 cases increasing again, schools have confirmed to continue virtual learning and students are trying their best to adjust. Berger and many other students will continue to have classes online in 2021 and will have to decide whether they want to return to school next year or not.
According to The New York Times, there are 488,055 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Los Angeles County as of December 11, 2020. Cases are rapidly increasing in Los Angeles and there will most likely be another lockdown. With that being said, schools will be elongating the duration of virtual learning and students will have to continue learning through a computer screen. Chancellor Timothy P. White stated that CSU campuses will remain virtual institution through Spring 2021.
Berger is finishing up his first semester at Cal State Northridge and is missing the social aspect of being a college student. The transfer student was hoping for things to calm down so that he can attend his second semester in person and get the full experience but judging by the current trend, things seem to be getting worse. Even though Berger is not getting the typical college experience, he will return back to CSUN for Spring 2021 to finish up and get his degree.
Mike Makias, another transfer student at CSUN has decided that he will not be taking classes in Spring 2021. His biggest struggle during the Fall semester was concentrating during Zoom lectures and dislikes online learning a lot.
Makias said, “[I] can’t learn with these distractions at home or the boredom of mono tone professors.”
As some students like Makias can’t continue learning this way, others have decided to try to adjust and figure out ways to continue school while overcoming this pandemic.
Transfer student, Andres Feldstedt, will be taking classes at CSUN in the Spring and is hoping that he will be able to have an actual graduation.
Feldstedt’s biggest problem this past semester has been understanding the course material through Zoom. He said, “It’s awesome to be able to be in the comfort of your home while being in class but [online learning] comes with a lot more cons.” Feldstedt mentioned there were technology errors, trouble understanding material, and miscommunication in his classes.
Michelle Markarian, transfer student at Cal State Northridge, likes online learning but misses meeting new people and the human connection.
She said,“ I’m not getting the full university experience.”
Although this semester was hard for her to keep focused and virtual learning is not ideal, Markarian will be taking courses next year.
It’s not just CSUN students struggling with the transition to online learning. I’ve gotten responses from people from Utah, Hawaii, Mexico, and different schools in California.
Freshman at Cal Poly Slo, Isabelle Smits is originally from Los Angeles and started university Fall 2020. As she was already aware of the pandemic, she had no choice but to move up north because not all her classes were virtual. Smits mentioned she has some in-person labs and the rest of her studies are online.
Smits believes it’s hard to stay attentive when learning through a screen and she struggles with staying motivated and studying. Although she misses the academic environment she is still able to see classmates and professors in her in-person labs. Isabelle Smits is also planning on taking courses in the Spring of 2021.
Another Cal Poly Slo transfer student, Jasmin Michaca mentioned how much she dislikes online learning. Michaca said she does not do well in virtual lessons and she thrives in in-person classes where she can ask questions, go to office hours, and have one-on-one with professors.
She also mentioned that its harder to understand the material and keep herself motivated while staring at a computer screen. Michaca misses the communication with her peers for help and in-class discussions.
Michaca said,“ I’ve struggled with math all throughout high school but taking statistics online was horrible. I failed the class. I can’t grasp material through virtual learning. My brain doesn’t work that way.”
Although, Jasmin Michaca mentioned how she doesn’t feel productive, “Now it’s like there’s no start or stop to my day, it’s continuous.” She will continue to try to adapt and learn new ways of grasping material for her future Spring semester.
Transition to online has affected each student differently. A common theme each of the responses had was a lack of motivation. Since there’s no need to get up from bed or your couch and get ready to head to school, people have become content with putting in minimal effort. The boundary between work and personal life has been lost and many are struggling to adjust.
Hopefully with the COVID-19 vaccine our normal lives will start to slowly come back and students will be able to attend classes at universities. Temporary became longer than we all expected and its now a matter of time telling us what will happen in the future.
