By: Tori Wilson
Staff Writer
wilsonvr@iu.edu
COVID-19 has impacted everyone in one way or another, but people don’t realize the impact it has on college students.
Most students learn better being in the classroom versus learning online, whether it be over Zoom or self-taught. Having the one-on-one time with professors, tutoring and seeing friends on a daily basis is something students all take for granted every once in a while, so when it’s taken away, it is missed. Some students at IU South Bend have put in their perspective on how COVID-19 has impacted them and what challenges they have faced. For many, it is a challenge.
“They [online classes] suck honestly, and I expect everything to be online within the next month due to a spike in COVID-19 cases,” James Buchmann, sophomore, stated.
Another sophomore, Evan Border put his input in as well. “So, with online classes, I’ve found it a little harder to get into a rhythm. When you are not in physical class, it makes it easier to forget certain things and due dates it seems, but as I get used to this virtual learning thing, I’m sure I’ll figure things out and get into my rhythm.”
Freshman are having a harder time adjusting to the college life due to “being out of rhythm” or not finding their “rhythm.” The transition from high school to college is already a huge change for most people. So, with everything being online, it just makes that transition harder. Finding that rhythm and getting the gist of how college is, takes time to adjust to.
Hayleigh Barker also feels a similar way about online classes. “They suck because it’s hard for me to not be in the environment that stimulates the learning. I may have trouble with it all semester,” she says.
It is not just at IU South Bend where students are feeling the pain of online classes. Students from Bloomington are having trouble adjusting to the online courses as well. Two students from IU Bloomington, Brandon Sydow and Aglaja Petrova, feel as if classes are harder and already have twice the workload than an in-person class would have. They also are having trouble with having the motivation to get up in the morning to attend Zoom meetings for classes and staying engaged during the meetings.
If you are struggling with classes, the Academic Center for Excellence is here to help. Offering Zoom tutoring all semester, ACE can help with almost any class. Their website is https://students.iusb.edu/academic-success-programs/academic-centers-for-excellence/index.html. In addition, with these troubling times, the Student Counseling Center is also offering their services through Zoom. Their website is https://students.iusb.edu/student-support-services/counseling-center/index.html.
