Students Weigh In on College Reopenings Post Coronavirus Lockdown
From college reopenings to what campus will look like come fall, the coronavirus lockdown has left students across the country wondering what comes next.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has already infected millions of people and killed nearly 120,000, has prompted countries to shut down borders, close businesses and schools, and start strict lockdowns to ensure people stay at home to prevent spreading the virus. Many of those who were isolated are college students facing a unique set of challenges posed by family situations, housing struggles, and the all-new challenge of distance learning. We talked to four undergraduate college students to learn more about their experiences living and studying during coronavirus isolation, and their thoughts on college reopenings.
Courtesy of Rida Javed1/4Rida Javed, 18, Rutgers University
Rida is an 18 year old Pakistani-American first year student at Rutgers University. A native of Edison, New Jersey, Rida settled on Rutgers since many of her friends were already students there, and because of its exceptional business program — her intended major.
Since Rida’s father is a doctor and her older sister is a scribe for physicians, she was aware of the seriousness of COVID-19 before many others were. She wasn’t surprised when, on March 10, Rutgers emailed the student body informing them that classes were cancelled for the rest of the week and everyone had to pack and leave campus in the next two days; two weeks later the college emailed again notifying all students of online classes for the rest of the year. In the months since she’s been home, Rida says her friends are what she misses most about being on campus. “Having the ability to hang out with my friends when I wanted and visit my family when I wanted was the best.” Some of her oldest friends also attend Rutgers, and they always made time to see each other despite their busy schedules. Rida is currently isolated with both her parents and older brother and sister, and explains how her family has been a huge source of support for her during this time.
In February, her mother had traveled to Pakistan and intended to return home in March. That return trip was cancelled when the country suspended all international flights because of COVID-19. Rida was unsure if she would come back at all, but her mother finally returned in April. “I’m especially happy that we’re all finally together and that my family has each other to rely on,” she says. Her family acts as an accountability mechanism since her parents regularly check in on her when she’s studying to make sure she doesn’t get distracted. She's also grateful to use this extra time in isolation to focus on her faith — an important part of her identity — and celebrate Ramadan. “Being in lockdown in general, has caused me to be grateful for what I have. My family is healthy, my friends are safe, and all my basic needs are met.”
Although Rida is happy to be spending extra time with family she’s uncertain about her future, especially since Rutgers University hasn’t yet decided if they’re re-opening for the fall semester. Personally, Rida thinks that next semester will be online. She explains that Rutgers is a state school with more than 50,000 students, not including the staff and faculty. Additionally, the university is in New Jersey, which has had a high number of cases and deaths and is very close to New York, the pandemic’s epicenter in the U.S.
“People in Jersey are already on high alert, I think we just want to be extra careful,” Rida said. Even if campus opens again, Rida thinks she’ll most likely opt for all online classes just to be safe. “The best decision is to stay at home until there is a vaccine — there is going to be a second wave.”
Courtesy of Bintou Tunkara2/4Bintou Tunkara, 20, Agnes Scott College
A first-generation Agnes Scott College student from Atlanta, Georgia, Bintou explains that she’s constantly breaking glass ceilings she didn’t even know existed.
“To be a first-generation college student is to be your ancestor's wildest dreams,” she said, constantly on a mission to achieve success without knowing what success looks like. Her past year was filled with highs that included attending Harvard Kennedy School’s Public Policy Leadership Conference, an internship at Habitat for Humanity International, and participating in Agnes Scott’s Ring Ceremony. However, the year was not without its lows: in her fall semester Bintou decided to move back home to save money, which meant long commutes to school and packed schedules because of her heavy involvement in extracurricular activities. Her lifestyle improved after moving back to campus in the spring — but she didn’t anticipate the “coronavirus effect.” Agnes Scott was still on spring break when, on March 13, it told students via email that the college would be closing. For Bintou who just moved back to campus a few months ago, this was a blow to her plans.
A self-identified “social butterfly,” social distancing has been particularly hard for Bintou. At home in quarantine with her parents and brothers, she takes online Zoom classes but prefers college to be in-person since she’s a visual learner. Apart from academics, Bintou misses connecting with her loved ones. She FaceTimes and talks on the phone often, but doesn’t think it’s the same. “You don’t realize that physical presence is important to you until it’s snatched away from you in a matter of days,” she expresses.
As a Black Muslim woman, Bintou describes the effect of COVID-19 on race relations, in particular the heightened discrimination towards the Asian community. On a local level, she was disturbed when Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced he would “reopen” the state in May, believing this would severely impact minority communities. “The state seems to be open in the name of saving the economy but there is no economy if our people are dying,” she accurately puts.
Agnes Scott College already announced that students will return in the fall and Bintou has mixed feelings; she’s naturally worried but is excited to see her friends and also understands why Agnes Scott made the decision. First, the college’s small size makes social distancing easier. Second, Agnes Scott’s new Summit program curriculum that focuses on hands-on and immersive learning through classes and activities will be difficult to conduct online. She also thinks Scotties aren’t your typical college students; they will take social distancing seriously not just because they’re scared, but because they generally follow the rules. “Some students might even snitch on people who try to have parties!” She discusses how her college was already taking measures like wearing masks, staying six feet apart, and even limiting the number of people in the dining hall at one time.
Bintou has two main pieces of advice for the thousands of other college students who are isolating like her: First, don’t let social media trick you into believing that you aren’t productive or doing enough, especially at a time like this. Instead, focus on your health. Second, she advises students to reach out to their professors at this critical time, stressing that this experience is also new for them — asking for help could assist both sides in creating a more productive and enjoyable online learning experience together.
Courtesy of Isabel Fields3/4Isabel Fields, 21, Smith College
Isabel Fields was especially looking forward to her spring semester of junior year because of the chance to study abroad in Shanghai, China — something she’d wanted to do since high school. She was excited to test out her Mandarin skills and travel, but her plans were interrupted when COVID-19 cases in China made their way onto the international news circuit days before her intended departure, forcing her to return to Smith for the spring. Unfortunately, on March 10 the college president emailed students telling them to pack up and leave campus in the next 10 days. After that announcement, Isabel said the campus atmosphere changed completely.
“The last week was surreal. Everyone just wanted to be with their friends since we had no idea when we’d see each other next,” she explained. Isabel has ulcerative colitis, meaning the medications vital for her disease management put her at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Her condition played a significant role in her decision to live with her aunt and uncle in nearby New Hampshire instead of boarding a plane back home to California when school closed. She misses her parents, but talks to them everyday and is grateful that she has her aunt, uncle, and significant other as a part of her “isolation pod.” She also takes online Zoom classes and her professors have each adjusted their classes differently. She’s especially fond of her Mandarin professor of three years who she has a great rapport with. This professor quickly adapted, canceling unfeasible tests and replacing them with essays and individual one-on-one meetings between the student and teacher.
Isabel is also using this extra time in isolation to focus on her sexual and reproductive healthcare work: She's a campaign manager of With the Flow (WTF) — a student group funded by a Planned Parenthood grant that creates access to free menstrual cups on campus. Isabel and her peers are working to get emergency funding out to students who need it due to the pandemic. “COVID-19 is greatly affecting women’s accessibility to … reproductive health care. It’s harder for women to get abortions...and it’s also harder for pregnant people to access necessary healthcare.”
Since Isabel’s ailment makes her more susceptible to the coronavirus, her priorities have changed: academics used to take center stage while in college but now, it’s her health and safety. She is always on high alert and is taking extra care to keep her distance from others. But no matter what, if she’s ever outside — even a walk in the park alone — she has a knot in her stomach from worry. Her condition also means she routinely sees several doctors, but she says her ability to access health care vital for managing her disease is now more difficult.
According to Isabel, Smith College will inform the student body of their decision via email in July; if they choose to re-open, she will return for her senior year but if classes are virtual, she will take a semester off to intern. If Isabel does return to college, which will most likely have more preventative measures, but her routine will not greatly change. “I’m really used to limiting my social life and my physical activity based on what my body needs," she said. "In many ways that is what living with chronic illness is."
Courtesy of Kalli Martinez4/4Kalli Martinez, 23, California State University Channel Islands
Kalli’s college experience is unique considering she’s in her sixth year at California State University Channel Islands. She's two years past when most students graduate because of her study abroad year in Australia and various research projects as a part of her Environmental Science and Resource Management (ESRM) major. In her last year of college, she focused on completing her capstone project — finding microplastics in beer — and planned to reward herself by traveling in the summer. Unfortunately for her, COVID-19 cases began appearing in the United States a few months before her graduation.
When she first heard of the coronavirus, Kalli said she was quite ignorant. “Oh, just wash your hands and cover your mouth, you’ll be fine,” she remembers telling friends and family. Once the number of deaths started climbing, she researched the virus and now considers herself better educated. On March 11, her university sent an email announcing classes were cancelled and that everyone needed to pack up and leave; a few weeks later they stated virtual learning would commence in April. Kalli was very upset because there were so many things she was looking forward to, like the research conference where she would present her capstone, and walking barefoot at graduation (a tradition for ESRM majors to represent their connection to nature).
Kalli is currently isolated with her mother and discusses the toll this pandemic has taken on her physical and mental health. As an ESRM student, she’s used to being out in the field for labs and going on hikes with her class to learn about flora and fauna. It’s difficult for her to stare at a screen all day, and she feels claustrophobic since she spends so much time indoors instead of in nature. She also misses being as active as she was at school, where she would climb the stairs frequently and work as a waterfront instructor for the Channel Islands Boating Center. Mentally, Kalli says she’s struggling. She reports feeling stressed constantly, which has affected her sleep schedule; some nights she only gets 4 hours of sleep and other nights it's 10 hours. This leaves her feeling unmotivated and makes it hard to focus during online lectures.
The lockdown has also affected her depression. When she usually gets depressed she isolates herself to re-center. Now, it’s different: “I’m already in isolation with my mom, but I don’t feel like I can properly isolate and be alone like I normally would. So not only do I feel depressed, but I can’t be alone when I want to be” she said. On the bright side, she’s actively taking measures to keep her health in check, which include focusing on what makes her happy, playing with her dog Phoebe, and connecting with loved ones.
Although Kalli feels restricted by the lockdown, she highlights how impactful this period is for the planet, saying COVID-19 struck just when we’re fighting with leaders on the need to address environmental change. She explains that while “wildlife is moving back into areas that are usually heavily congested with human activity and global carbon emissions have lowered,” she’s uncertain if the pandemic will alter people’s behavior in the long run, especially in the United States where the current leadership doesn’t listen to scientists. She puts it in a way everyone can understand. “All we've done is put a small bandaid on a colossal bullet wound.”
