A New Age for Students: Learning During a Pandemic

An increasing number of Coronavirus cases in the United States has brought change to the country’s academic infrastructure. For many students, this will be the first time they enroll and participate in an online class.

Educating Through Uncertainty

With a mixture of increasing cases and deaths, states reopening and lack of testing, universities throughout the country have remained closed and have continued the switch to online and remote learning.

For many many students, this year’s spring break was quite different. Students left the comforts of campus and dorm rooms as they headed back to live with parents, while others were anxious when faced with the fact that they had no homes to return to.

Universities such as Columbia University, with others following suit, were one of the first to push students to leave campus, largely in part because of its location, New York City; currently, New York state holds the most Coronavirus cases than any other state in the country.

Students were in a panic when they realized their university might need them to pack and leave campus grounds.

“ Most of us were anxious about Columbia closing. Being in New York City, we knew Columbia was going to be forced to close — we just didn’t know when,” Franky Campuzano, a sophomore at Columbia University said.

Many Students have uprooted their lives and are now remotely learning in environments they were not expected to. These same students are required to complete schoolwork, either through their university’s newly adopted pass/fail grading system or letter grade scale.

The times have lead professors to make accommodations, some more than others, never thought needed while ensuring students receive a semblance of quality education as they finish the semester.

At this time it is unknown if universities and other academic institutions will resume normal operations starting the fall. As of now classes at the University of Houston and across the country will continue with online learning until the end of summer.

The transition is not simple. The difficulty with online learning is not a change in teaching from in-person to a screen but attempting to teach and learn while deaths increase amid a pandemic that does not have a foreseeable end in the United States.

Houston resident adjusts his face mask before heading out in what feels like never before seen empty highways during what used to be Houston's rush hour.

A grocery store places limits on items as shelves empty out commonly. (left); Restaurants remain open for pickup and delivery only. Dine-in service has been halted but customers can still pick-up from local favorites. (center); A restaurant employee wears gloves as she handles cash. The number of cash transactions has dropped in order to avoid unnecessary contact with non-food items and customers. (right)

A student wears gloves to handle groceries before disinfecting packaging. The picture captures new measures people take to ensure proper sanitation and safety. (left); Downtown Houston trails contain fewer people as they are wary of sharing public spaces and stay home. (right)

Student social hubs, often used for studying or meeting with peers, were part of a normal daily schedule that served as a relief for many but with stay at home orders and social distancing guidelines, there are no longer spaces for students to wind down or meet.

The dine-in space at a local Houston restaurant remains empty only take-out and deliveries are allowed under the city’s quarantine orders.

With the coronavirus disrupting the U.S. economic order, Gov. Greg Abbott is rushing to reopen businesses in Texas no matter the cost. Despite the low number of cases and death being due to lack of Coronavirus testing, people like Gov. Greg Abbott deem Texas ready to begin operating like it used to.

Campus coffee shops, libraries, stadiums and student centers are closed to the public or operating at a smaller capacity and will remain so in the state of Texas until Gov. Greg Abbott announces an update on Texas’ second wave of business reopenings.

It’s better to just continue operating as a take out/ delivery only establishment if it lessens the potential spread of coronavirus. We will be closed down longer if there is an outbreak here so it just isn’t worth the risk.

With these closures enforcing social-distancing measures, students at the University of Houston and other universities were unable to walk across the stage to symbolize the completion of their hard work.

According to the CDC’s official website, the reported US cases for the Coronavirus total over 1 million as of April 29 with numbers continuing to rise.

Employees deemed “essential” have held jobs through this pandemic, putting their health and safety at risk, many of them students who continue to go to work. Job insecurity and unemployment have increased. Students now face the inability to pay for student loans, housing and food while they manage their school work.

The Coronavirus aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Payment Protection Program, expanded unemployment benefits are efforts that have aided students by suspending federal student loans and setting interest rates to 0%. Students do not need to contact their student loan servicer if their student loan is held by the federal government.

Students are seeing the efforts being made while they join their zoom meetings, adjust to online testing, and learn through a screen but for some, it may not be enough.

At the possible height of the Coronavirus in the United States, some states have decided to reopen public space potentially hindering progress in the battle against this virus. With this step back, it is unknown when students will be able to return to their normal and resume face to face learning at their University’s campus.