Students on Campus | Photo by Soham Parikh | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University (WSU) students received an email from the university’s president on March 10 stating upcoming plans for students to return to campus for classes for the 2021 Summer and Fall semesters.
Freshmen and sophomore students who left last March are returning to campus as juniors and seniors. A whole year of their college career has been spent in their bedrooms teaching themselves college-level courses without experiencing college.
Returning to campus
Freshman computer science major Cal Kahoun has had classes online before coming to WSU.
“I am so looking forward to classes on campus because I am such a hands-on learner and I feel that I don't get the same engagement over the internet as in person. I don't really have many expectations, just that I would be able to meet more faces,” Kahoun said.
Sophomore English major Tasha Berkenstock is also looking forward to seeing more faces on campus.
“When the campus shut down in the Spring, I was in my second semester of my freshman year and had made very few acquaintances on campus. Because of this, I have often felt isolated from everyone at campus and have struggled with trying to meet other people on campus,” Berkenstock said.
According to Berkenstock, switching to solely online classes was difficult, especially when she had to sit at her kitchen table for seven to eight hours to do homework.
“[Sitting there] was extremely hard, especially when I could be doing something else like playing The Sims or Mario Kart,” Berkenstock said.
Changes for the future
While some students like Berkenstock have kept a regular schedule, others will have to revamp how they handle college, especially if they never had to go to campus.
“The biggest change I would have to make to transition to in-person classes is my sleep schedule. I would also force myself out of my room more which is a great thing I would have to change,” Kahoun said.
According to Berkenstock, her sleep schedule has remained intact while her studying time has taken a blow. Berkenstock focused on submitting assignments before the due dates and lost what time she needed to study the information.
While President Edwards reminds WSU members that campus life will not return to the pre-coronavirus style, students will be on campus come fall. Along with thanking students and members of the WSU community, Edwards shares Berkenstock’s appreciation for those who have taught this last year.
“I would just like to take a moment though to say thank you to all the professors for their hard work. All of my professors have been trying their hardest to ensure that their students get the education they wanted while staying aware of the situation at hand. It has been a struggle for us all,” Berkenstock said.
