Fellow undergrads: Do you want your university to continue online in the fall or return to in-person?

[Ihave Nonamè]

---

Members don't see this ad.

It sounds as though Universities are nearing their final decision and it sounds as though most are leaning toward online....

What are you thinking should be done?

 

[TheDataKing]

Whatever the epidemiologists and other professionals deem to be appropriate to mitigate chances of widespread outbreaks again. Whether that be online, hybrid, or in-person, I hope the right calls will be made for all involved. (yes, everyone wants school to return to on campus/in person & that's understandable. We just have to recognize that everything we do has consequences and sometimes it's worth missing out on something to prevent something from occurring) Just my groggy $0.02

 

[chicandtoughness]

Personally, online has been so much convenient for me, especially since my job is considered essential so I'm still working. Having the online option means I can watch lectures on my own time, or I can arrange my schedule so I can finish a live lecture and not be late for work.

On the other hand though, considering the stigma behind online courses (which I'm hoping will greatly decrease after this experience), I'm wary to have it on my transcript. I would hope most schools would understand hey, fall 2020, must be a COVID situation and not the student trying to cop out, but you never know...

 

[KnightDoc]

It sounds as though Universities are nearing their final decision and it sounds as though most are leaning toward online....

What are you thinking should be done?

Who is nearing a "final decision"? We are barely 6 weeks into this, and the fall semester is 4 months away!!!!!!

To my knowledge, schools are merely in the midst of making contingency plans, and as has been said ad infinitum, they will do the right thing to not unnecessarily put students, faculty or staff in harm's way. If we can go back, we will. If not, not. Nobody knows right now what's going to happen at the end of May, let alone the end of August.

TL;DR -- too soon to have this discussion!! 🙂

 

[ja312608]

from my knowledge, Cal State Fullerton has already made the decision to go online next semester

 

[Yhwach]

I know this is for undergrads but I felt like talking about being a current M0:

Whatever needs to be done to control this pandemic needs to be done. Full stop. That being said emotionally I am not happy about this.

Personally I don't want to start med school all online. Moving to a new setting and starting fresh helps me to "reset" my thinking. Also, I am a library person I am my best at studying in there NOT at home. I can, of course, manage but I won't like it. I understand that most of med school in the first 2 years is mainly online but there are still in person things that help students learn.

Having all online classes = Staying home without the physical transition to a new setting. I feel like it is easier to overwork yourself since there is no way to go outside to a bar, restaurant, or friend's house.

People are already fatigued and stressed about not knowing when this will end and we are going into a difficult 4-year program all online with no physical support. It sucks. Med school is already fatiguing and our baseline morale might already be low from this quarantine. We might burn out faster than previous cohorts.

Not to mention that I picked my schools based on having early clinical exposure in the curriculum, all that is moot. So it's almost as if that decision point in picking a school just doesn't matter.

Those early exposures could help in exploring a specialty we like before going into clerkships.

Finding research opportunities may require way more leg work I feel as well.

 

[Rogue42]

As an M1, I can tell you that my undergraduate self would have wanted school to be open. My M1 self still wants school to be open. Quite honestly, they should be come July for medical school and August / September for undergraduates.

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

Who is nearing a "final decision"? We are barely 6 weeks into this, and the fall semester is 4 months away!!!!!!

To my knowledge, schools are merely in the midst of making contingency plans, and as has been said ad infinitum, they will do the right thing to not unnecessarily put students, faculty or staff in harm's way. If we can go back, we will. If not, not. Nobody knows right now what's going to happen at the end of May, let alone the end of August.

TL;DR -- too soon to have this discussion!! 🙂

No, schools are having to make a decision soon as they are putting together classes for fall and as students will soon be considering living arrangements for fall....My own school apparently advised professors to be ready for the possibility of online... 🙁

I do hope though that if it is evident they drastically overestimated the spread of the virus by fall that they would reconsider and allow us to return. We are missing out on a lot with closed campuses.

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

I know this is for undergrads but I felt like talking about being a current M0:

Whatever needs to be done to control this pandemic needs to be done. Full stop. That being said emotionally I am not happy about this.

Personally I don't want to start med school all online. Moving to a new setting and starting fresh helps me to "reset" my thinking. Also, I am a library person I am my best at studying in there NOT at home. I can, of course, manage but I won't like it. I understand that most of med school in the first 2 years is mainly online but there are still in person things that help students learn.

Having all online classes = Staying home without the physical transition to a new setting. I feel like it is easier to overwork yourself since there is no way to go outside to a bar, restaurant, or friend's house.

People are already fatigued and stressed about not knowing when this will end and we are going into a difficult 4-year program all online with no physical support. It sucks. Med school is already fatiguing and our baseline morale might already be low from this quarantine. We might burn out faster than previous cohorts.

Not to mention that I picked my schools based on having early clinical exposure in the curriculum, all that is moot. So it's almost as if that decision point in picking a school just doesn't matter.

Those early exposures could help in exploring a specialty we like before going into clerkships.

Finding research opportunities may require way more leg work I feel as well.

Yes, you're M0 but this all applies to us undergrads as well. I don't have the opportunity to beef up my application with clinical, research, professor LoRs...I'm very worried! As a transfer student, I really need this year... And likewise, studying at home while at home 24/7 has been difficult. I want a daily routine again, I want to enjoy different settings throughout my day and I want sun..... not to mention my upstairs neighbor runs laps or skips around above me and the landlord is still allowing construction in the apartment adjacent to me... had to listen to all of that while taking a quiz today! And it all woke me up exactly at 7am. With this lockdown, there's no getting away from it. Life isnt great right now lol

Would be nice if this virus could just disappear like the last SARs virus...

 

[Yhwach]

Yes, you're M0 but this all applies to us undergrads as well. I don't have the opportunity to beef up my application with clinical, research, professor LoRs...I'm very worried! As a transfer student, I really need this year... And likewise, studying at home while at home 24/7 has been difficult. I want a daily routine again, I want to enjoy different settings throughout my day and I want sun..... not to mention my upstairs neighbor runs laps or skips around above me and the landlord is still allowing construction in the apartment adjacent to me... had to listen to all of that while taking a quiz today! And it all woke me up exactly at 7am. With this lockdown, there's no getting away from it. Life isnt great right now lol

Would be nice if this virus could just disappear like the last SARs virus...

Oh yes I feel for undergrads! especially the ones with summer plans

 

[RTC19]

Personally, I hope we stay online through the fall. My school is in a major city with limited parking and so I have to take public transit. I worry about bringing those germs home to my family or getting sick myself.

 

[jamaica jan sun princess]

I enjoying taking and teaching classes in-person so much more than online. My school is waiting until mid-Summer to decide about Fall classes.

 

[swoopy]

It sounds as though Universities are nearing their final decision and it sounds as though most are leaning toward online....

What are you thinking should be done?

A smart decision. Who knows -- they might find that their students actually learn better that way.

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

Personally, I hope we stay online through the fall. My school is in a major city with limited parking and so I have to take public transit. I worry about bringing those germs home to my family or getting sick myself.

I'm sure you would have the option to remain home while others that wish to would attend class. I don't see the schools enforcing attendance policies anytime soon.

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

A smart decision. Who knows -- they might find that their students actually learn better that way.

Keep in mind that we are already online for this spring quarter/semester. It is quite evident that students are not learning better this way. Only those that deal with excessive traffic etc every morning seem to see any benefit in it. Students are struggling for any number of reasons - the forums/threads for my school are full of students venting about depression/loneliness/lack of motivation. Many feel that the professors have increased workload to an unmanageable extent so as to minimize the contribution of exams. Zoom meetings simply aren't the most effective in teaching and learning. And there is not the same opportunity to develop relationships with these professors; these relationships generally enable students to feel more involved in the class and its material.

Online would be a smart decision if we had any indication of the virus' likely path at the end of summer/early fall...We don't. The smart decision would be to plan for optional in-person and have an online plan ready in the event it were needed. The schools as well as the students take a hit if we stay online for the fall. The UC system was hit with a cost of $558 million in the month of March alone...Many universities/colleges are cutting departments or having to consider shutting down. Faculty are losing their positions. The decision should not be made so lightly. In my opinion, online should be considered as a last resort.

 

[efle]

Keep closed. Opening will kill some of your fellow students, staff and professors.

Y'all lil scrubs need to get good at doing all your studying from home in your boxers anyways, as practice for MS1-MS2.

 

[V781]

Keep closed. Opening will kill some of your fellow students, staff and professors.

Y'all lil scrubs need to get good at doing all your studying from home in your boxers anyways, as practice for MS1-MS2.

Wow, that's quite a prediction to make about 5 months into the future....

 

[efle]

Wow, that's quite a prediction to make about 5 months into the future....

You must think any current/summer efforts will be futile.

Everyone with half a brain (read: anyone but the president) expects to see another wave during flu season. That's how these phenomena behaved in the past, it's not just one wave. If schools were optimistic to start up, most likely would come to a grinding halt in the middle of the semester again anyways.

I think everyone needs to get cozy with working and learning from home.

 

[Flash99]

Keep closed. Opening will kill some of your fellow students, staff and professors.

Y'all lil scrubs need to get good at doing all your studying from home in your boxers anyways, as practice for MS1-MS2.

Great point! It amazes me how many pre Meds have no clue how first and second year is at home mostly anyway smh

 

[Flash99]

Great point! It amazes me how many pre Meds have no clue how first and second year is at home mostly anyway smh

And it’s all about safety and people are just forgetting that!

 

[OfMiceAndWomen]

how first and second year is at home mostly anyway smh

I strongly disagree with this, esp depending on the type of college. For colleges with dorms / residential life, missing out on the first year or two of college definitely affects students. For many students, this is the first time they'll live away from parents, and the connections made during these years can fundamentally shape identity and social networks.

That's not to say I think it's a good idea for residential campuses to resume in the fall. A bunch of schools have announced plans to have classes in-person, with an adjusted calendar (e.g. Notre Dame), with mandatory testing and social distancing. I'm very skeptical at how successful these plans will be, considering there is absolutely no way you can make college students social distance from one another outside of classrooms.

But I do think it is important to acknowledge that young college students *are* missing out on experiences that are really valuable. In addition to social life of college, there are tons of opportunities that won't be available to many students if they're not on campus, including research, group extracurriculars, etc.

Edit: I just realized that you're talking about MS1 and MS2, but my point still stands.

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

Great point! It amazes me how many pre Meds have no clue how first and second year is at home mostly anyway smh

Studying from home perhaps but understand that there is a lot that needs to be done beyond just studying to get into a program. Right now there is no interaction with professors, no research labs, no hospital volunteering, no organizations, etc.

Being in medical school is not the equivalent on being on home quarantine unless that's simply how you needlessly chose your years to be. Most med students do make friends and spend time with others.

 

[Flash99]

Studying from home perhaps but understand that there is a lot that needs to be done beyond just studying to get into a program. Right now there is no interaction with professors, no research labs, no hospital volunteering, no organizations, etc.

Being in medical school is not the equivalent on being on home quarantine unless that's simply how you needlessly chose your years to be. Most med students do make friends and spend time with others.

That is true but as a pre med you should understand that this is a global pandemic where people can lose their lives so it all needs to be virtual end of discussion point blank period and if you don’t see that then clearly you don’t need to be a doctor

 

[Flash99]

I strongly disagree with this, esp depending on the type of college. For colleges with dorms / residential life, missing out on the first year or two of college definitely affects students. For many students, this is the first time they'll live away from parents, and the connections made during these years can fundamentally shape identity and social networks.

That's not to say I think it's a good idea for residential campuses to resume in the fall. A bunch of schools have announced plans to have classes in-person, with an adjusted calendar (e.g. Notre Dame), with mandatory testing and social distancing. I'm very skeptical at how successful these plans will be, considering there is absolutely no way you can make college students social distance from one another outside of classrooms.

But I do think it is important to acknowledge that young college students *are* missing out on experiences that are really valuable. In addition to social life of college, there are tons of opportunities that won't be available to many students if they're not on campus, including research, group extracurriculars, etc.

Edit: I just realized that you're talking about MS1 and MS2, but my point still stands.

But what amazes me is how many of you sit here and act as though it’s not a global pandemic going on do you not understand that things aren’t business as usual right now?!

 

[datboi_58]

But what amazes me is how many of you sit here and act as though it’s not a global pandemic going on do you not understand that things aren’t business as usual right now?!

I think most people recognize there’s a pandemic going on and I think most people will comply with the governing authorities (either because they have to or because they want to).

But I think what people are trying to say is despite that, it is important to recognize that doing everything online means students will miss opportunities and it’s okay to be sad or frustrated about that. It’s like how many people missed their last semesters / graduations in the last few months. Most people understood why they had to do it but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a sucky situation. You can do what is right because that’s what needs to be done and still be sad about doing it because it isn’t ideal.

 

[ParaMagic1]

Everyone with half a brain (read: anyone but the president) expects to see another wave during flu season. That's how these phenomena behaved in the past, it's not just one wave. If schools were optimistic to start up, most likely would come to a grinding halt in the middle of the semester again anyways.

I think everyone needs to get cozy with working and learning from home.

Apparently Dr. Fauci doesn't have half a brain? He is quoted saying “We don’t have to accept that [a second wave] as an inevitability. And particularly when people start thinking about the fall, I want people to appreciate that it could happen but it is not inevitable.”

But what does he know?

 

[efle]

Apparently Dr. Fauci doesn't have half a brain? He is quoted saying “We don’t have to accept that [a second wave] as an inevitability. And particularly when people start thinking about the fall, I want people to appreciate that it could happen but it is not inevitable.”

But what does he know?

Could we knock this thing down and keep it down? In theory, if everyone behaves as they ought to, sure.

But always remember: nobody's ever gone broke by underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

 

[Flash99]

Apparently Dr. Fauci doesn't have half a brain? He is quoted saying “We don’t have to accept that [a second wave] as an inevitability. And particularly when people start thinking about the fall, I want people to appreciate that it could happen but it is not inevitable.”

But what does he know?

He may know a lot but he lies and is compromised he has been seen multiple times on tv backtracking on what he has previously said... it is very much so inevitable that a second wave will hit because the pandemic has never been properly controlled from the beginning so now it’s rampant

 

[Flash99]

Could we knock this thing down and keep it down? In theory, if everyone behaves as they ought to, sure.

But always remember: nobody's ever gone broke by underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

Thank you my point exactly people don’t behave properly so it will continue... I rest my case everyone please stay safe

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

Sorry but lockdown was never intended to be an answer to the pandemic. It was intended as a means to buy time for hospitals and for production of supplies. Our govt failed us in not doing any of this in the last few months. Still we lack the necessary tests...

At a certain point, it may be that the lockdown will do more harm than good. I would hate to have family unable to pay their mortgages and losing their homes.