Starting college is a special moment that brings joy. But when it comes to starting college in the middle of a pandemic, when everyone is in quarantine, many people get frustrated.
Julia Joly Siquini e Silva and Letícia Vianna de Mattos, both Brazilian freshman students of veterinary medicine, told Her Campus Casper Libero in an interview how difficult and challenging it has been to begin college in the online version.
“It has been difficult to be at home, because of the distractions, which makes me pay less attention to the class. Besides, it has been hard to be in touch with the professor and know how to manage with the college online platform”, told us Julia Joly, 17 years old, about her biggest challenges in this new situation.
Letícia de Mattos, also 17 years old, agrees with Julia, she thinks that it is hard to talk with the teacher and make new friends. “There is no doubt that it makes me frustrated. I was expecting to meet new people, to have new teachers. However, our relationship is so limited. Quarantine does not allow access to the labs, it looks like something is missing”.
Furthermore, Julia also feels sad about the college parties that she would have if it was not in quarantine: “Parties increase interaction between people. So I hope it happens after the pandemic because I am missing it so much”.
Friendships
“Obviously that the contact with my colleagues would be better, nothing substitutes the physical relationship with people, the eye to eye, even more in this period. I cannot wait for the face-to-face classes”, said Letícia about friendships: “If it was not the Coronavirus, I would have made more new friends”. Julia thinks the same as Letícia, and she said about the groups on social networks and how they helped her to make new friends: “I have been using ‘Whatsapp’ to talk with my colleagues at the university, but if it was face-to-face, it would be much better”.
When we asked them if their new friendships could change after the quarantine, Letícia said: “I suppose that it will change, because virtual and personal contact are so different. The old friendships we can maintain because we already know them, but the new ones can surprise us, in a positive or negative way”. Julia has the same thoughts: “We do not know each other, so I think it will have good and bad changes”.
Online Classes
Online classes have also some bad things, Julia presumes some damage: “We are not having practical lessons, just theoretical, and it is causing failures in our learning. Even though there are simulations on the internet, we can not compare it with actually doing the practical classes”. Letícia prefers the practical classes too and, according to her, the only good thing about online classes is the possibility to record what the professor is teaching. “Online classes can be recorded, so I can see whenever and wherever I want to. I think it is the only good thing about it”. Besides, Ms Vianna de Mattos believes that not feeling the ambience of being in college is a disadvantage: “Not feeling the ambience is so bad, I am not feeling the routine of the college. At the beginning of the course, there are many theoretical classes, but I am still missing something”
Tips For Who Is Going To Start College In The Middle Of Quarantine
Tips are necessary for who is going to start college in the middle of quarantine, so Ms Joly believes organization is the key: “The best option is being organized and endeavours, because it is not an easy moment for neither of us”, and Ms Vianna de Mattos has a motivational message: “The tips are being patient and believe that everything will get better. These difficulties will improve ourselves, we just can not be disheartened”.
Thus, although all the frustrations about starting a college in quarantine, those who will be a freshman do not need to be preoccupied, because it is not everything bad, you still can make friends and enjoy the college even if you are having just online classes.
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The article above was edited by Isabella Gomes.
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