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Second Year, First Time On-Campus
Returning to campus was stressful even for those who stayed in town for their online classes, and especially for students who had never been on-campus before.
How did you first feel when you walked onto FSU' s campus?
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For sophomore students arriving oncampus for the first time this fall, it was hard for them to know what awaited them on FSU' s campus. Students experienced different levels of anxiety and relief about returning to in-person classes.
For some, the lockdown gave them new eyes to see campus with. Upon returning to campus after taking classes online during her sophomore year, Pearl Ray reflected that FSU' s campus "felt bigger than before and like there was more to do. "
A few other students shared similar sentiments, stating that they felt excited and/or relieved to be back on campus.
Senior student, Alena Williams wrote.
"I was excited to be back. It felt refreshing and gave me new motivation for my senior year. "
How did this past year ' s distance learning affect student socialization? Were students who chose distance-learning last semester just as comfortable on campus, or was there a disconnect?
When Yasmin Khabou, sophomore student, arrived on campus for the first time, after completing her freshman classes in Pensacola, Yasmin found everything to
be "different than (she) expected. "
"My friends that spent their first year on campus seem to have had an easier time making friends. I feel as though I' ve missed a certain window to be able to establish fresh friendships because most people returned to campus at least in the second semester of last year. It seems like everyone
"Nervous. " "Anxious. " "Surreal. " "Crowded. " "Felt off. " "Not what I expected. "
"It seems like everyone has already found their friend groups, and I'm a straggler... " -Yasmin K.
has already found their friend groups, and I' m a straggler. It made the transition to life on campus harder than it already was, though I' m not letting it stop me in going to events and exploring places, " remarked Khabou.
Junior student, Kate Shannon remarked that she had joined in-person events from zoom and that, " at times that felt isolating. " Another student, senior Liam O'ConnellBecker put it simply: "Everyone is friends. I need friends. "
If you were given a choice, would you return to distance learning? Students who were asked this question had mixed thoughts. For some, online classes were a welcome reprieve.
"The classes were easier, I was able to attend more classes that now I would just skip, I didn ’t have to walk in this heat, and there were many more resources available for me online " , said Antoinette Gladney.
"I found that online learning really saved a lot of time. I never realized how much time I had to spend to get up, drive to campus, find a parking space, etc. The biggest downfall to distance learning though was the lack of personal connection, which did not motivate or inspire me to stay focused, " agreed Tracy Pham, senior student.
Senior student, Alena Williams both enjoyed getting to spend time with her family while distance learning. However, felt that her academic experience was stifled.
"Being able to make these memories and share those months with those I love is something I really appreciate. " said Alena. "But (on taking online classes) no information was retained and no relationships with classmates were formed. "
Many other students shared similar sentiments about the difficulties of taking online classes. Sophomore student, Justin Nigtshade stated, "I would not do distance learning again if I had the chance not to - it was really difficult for me. "
Other students enjoyed the new experiences and challenges that they faced with distance learning.
"I moved to Ohio with my friend this past year. We quarantined and did online classes together, and I got to experience my first proper winter and spring as a native of the South, playing in the snow and watching barren branches give way to explosions of vividly-colored flowers. I absolutely loved the new setting and spending time with my friend, and my self-confidence as grown as a result of my ability to flourish so far outside my comfort zone, " said Alanna Felton, senior.
A special thanks to the student voices who responded to our questions on campus life and distance learning.
