Adjusting To College In A Post-COVID World

Diana Hartley

Students and faculty alike found themselves having to make unexpected adjustments since the lockdowns forced by the arrival of COVID-19 were instituted last March. 

Online classes, while not a new phenomenon, became the sole mode of learning for most of the country last year, and Calhoun was no exception. In addition to the stress of the pandemic, changes to routine brought with it new challenges for some. 

Dr. Parvathy Bhooshanan is an English professor who has worked at Calhoun for 17 years. Like everyone, she had to switch her one in-person class to a synchronous online setting once the campus was shut down. While many of her students were able to adjust, some struggled with the transition. 

“Though I tried to reach out, it was clear that the dynamic of a face-to-face class was missed deeply by these students.”, she writes via email. “I did adjust the schedule to accommodate the strain the students felt, but it was perhaps not a wholesome solution for the few that could not return.”

The benefit to online learning is the flexibility it allows to an otherwise busy schedule, but in a world where it is the only option, some teachers and students were unable to adapt. 

One student who had a difficult time is Shellie Christopher, a second-year student studying psychology. Shellie felt that in one of her classes, her professor did not adequately moderate their expectations in such a turbulent time. She doesn’t blame the professor though, saying that her professor was “Not technically prepared.” 

Another of her professors was using Zoom instead of Blackboard’s built-in Collaborate tool to host classes. Zoom faced criticism last Spring for its security practices, although the company said that it was working to fix many of these issues.

Technology is another barrier that some have struggled with. Shellie has a friend who had to quit going altogether in the Spring because they lost their job and were not able to access a computer.

“I’ve been lucky. I know some people who haven’t.” she says, “I live in South Huntsville. I’m not worried about my internet popping off.”

Dr. Bhooshanan laments the missing connection allowed by teaching in a classroom but seems optimistic about students’ ability to adapt, saying, “Face-to-face class draws greater participation in my experience. Perhaps this can change with time with online classes.”

Although it is clear many people desired a return to in-person classes, it seems that people have begun to get used to a socially distanced world. 

Matthew Reyes is a freshman cybersecurity major who just started online classes this semester. “I think I’d have an easier time learning in person because I can ask questions on the spot. But online suits me best with my busy lifestyle,” he says. “I think the only influence the pandemic had is it helped me pick to be online all the way.”

For her part, Shellie is looking forward to returning to in-person classes soon, but she’s doing much better than she was 10 months ago. She is retaking English, the class she withdrew from. 

“I think I’m doing much better for sure. I think my writing is better. I’m in a better headspace.”