As more schools revert to face-to-face classes again, we ask college students what it’s like to finally head back to a classroom.
Related: Students Open Up About What It’s Like Going Through Online Learning
With most provinces and cities under Alert Level 1, most establishments, venues, and activities are starting to open up and be held again. One of the most important is the re-opening of schools. The education system was one of the hardest hit when the pandemic began, forcing schools to close. But after over two years, face-to-face classes are set to occur once more. Now, much has been said about the shift to online classes and how it has affected many students, but with in-person classes resuming this August, a generation of students are set to experience a semblance of normalcy during a pandemic. As students prepare to head back to the classroom, we reached out to a few college students to get their take on face-to-face classes, adjusting to a new normal, and their feelings on going back to school,
I’M JUST LOOKING FOR WHATEVER NORMALCY I CAN BRING IN MY LIFE
For Kara, the fact that she gets to go back to her campus for classes is a blessing she has been dreaming for. “I never really liked online classes. I just never vibed with it as much as if it were in-person classes.” Currently on her 4th year, Kara admits that she had to take a few months off online class for her mental health and other personal reasons. But she hopes that now that she can return to her school, she can have a better learning experience. “I was always one who learned better in a school setting, especially with other people around me.”
As for what she’s looking forward to the most in face-to-face classes, Kara shares that she’s just happy she’s back on campus and all the nostalgic memories its buildings and locations brings with it. “My college life pre-pandemic won’t be the same now, but I’m just looking for whatever normalcy I can bring in my life.”
I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT
“I don’t know what to expect. It feels so new to me,” says Migs when asked on his return to face-to-face classes. You can’t really blame him though as he became a college freshman during the middle of the pandemic. From freshman orientation to meeting his blockmates, all were done online and through video calls. “What I thought I was going to experience on campus kinda flew out the window.” Migs, who is currently taking up a degree in Psychology, initially felt bitter for the fact that he spent his first years in college all online. “Sometimes, I would think to myself, ‘Is this really happening?’”
But overtime, he learned to accept it and is looking forward to finally study in the same college as his parents. Most excitingly, Migs shared that he’s looking forward to finally seeing his blockmates in person for the very first time. “I only met a few of them in person, so it will be nice to finally see all of them face to face.”
IT’S HONESTLY BOTH EXCITING AND SCARY
When the COVID-19 pandemic cut Pat’s freshman year short, it left the communications major in a bit of a loop. “I wasn’t going back to school. The plans I had with me and my friends were gone. There was so much going on in the world. It was a lot to take in.”. He shares that he initially wanted to take a year off from school “because I wasn’t in the right mindset.” But he persevered and enrolled the following school year. Now, Pat admits that he has taken a bit of a liking to online classes. In fact, he found himself in a daily routine that he finds hard to disrupt. “My school routine is that I wake up, head on over to my computer table, do my school work, then go back to bed.”
So, how does Pat feel about the return of face-to-face classes? “It’s honestly both exciting and scary. Exciting because I finally get to go back to campus after so long. But scary because I got so used to my current situation that it’s going to be hard to adjust again.” Pat isn’t looking forward to waking up at 6 AM just to make it to school on time or spending extra money on food and transportation. But he says, “I feel that it might be all worth it in the end to experience what I missed.”
I WANT TO MAKE THE MOST OF MY TIME IN COLLEGE
They say you miss the most the things that you take for granted once it’s gone. For Adrian, that manifested in the form of face-to-face classes. “I never really enjoyed the experience of waking up early and going to school. But once we transitioned to online classes, that was when I really missed it.” Adrian, who is taking up a degree in Creative Writing, wasn’t the biggest fan of online learning, especially with how he had to adjust to some of the classes. “Imagine doing PE in a small room. It’s not fun.” What bothers Adrian the most though is the fact that he’s currently a senior and is set to graduate college soon. “I feel that I never got the college experience that I thought of or wanted.”
Needless to say, when he heard that his school was going to allow students to return to the classroom, he was over the moon. “What I miss the most is the feel and experience of it all. Walking along campus, being with your friends, doing org activities, eating at the nearby restaurants along Katipunan, those brought a lot of good memories for me.” While he knows that what he enjoyed in the past won’t be the same now with a pandemic, getting to be back on campus is a win for him already. “I want to make the most of my time in college.”
Continue Reading: The Graduates: How Life Has Been For Batch 2020 A Year Into The Pandemic
