It’s senior year people! Our last year to be semi-kids and semi-adults! A year of fun, senioritis, and a whole lot of lasts. Except this senior year has come with a twist and her name is Miss Rona. Many of us are experiencing different emotions. I asked five seniors what their thoughts about the upcoming year are and how it is affecting them specifically as a senior. Here are their responses:
There are students like Quinn Northrup and Christian Bauer who feel like their education quality has lowered and that they aren’t getting the same support and rewards as they would if they were on campus.
Quinn Northrup
“I’m pretty bummed about this year. I understand the reason why we aren’t going back to school but I’m pretty frustrated that it’s happening. Personally, I do not like school on Zoom. I don’t feel like it’s productive, I feel like it’s easy to get sidetracked on zoom and I don’t think it’s as easy to really learn and really listen on the platform. The changes Pepperdine has made have affected me personally mostly just for my learning. I live off-campus already so I’m not affected by that but the classroom setting is definitely hurtful to my learning. I also don’t really feel like I have the support from Pepperdine as a senior that I would normally have with finding jobs after college and figuring out my life.”
Christian Bauer
“From what I’ve experienced so far, online classes just don’t have the same personal and academic impact as in-person classes, so it’s been hard to try and recreate the experience we had before the pandemic for sure. And while I don’t know whether or not next semester will be online, I think the biggest effect on me is the prospect of not having a graduation ceremony, and knowing that my last year at school is just out of my hands at this point.”
And then there are students like George Preston who feel as if the most important courses of their education are being drastically changed for the online format and that they will have to learn how to translate it into an in-person format in the “real world.”
George Preston
“I think the biggest change would be specific to my major. I’m preparing to enter the world with a theatre arts degree and I’ll have to learn how to translate my training to on-camera acting specifically for shows and acting work with crucial acting courses this year.”
And finally, there are students like Jordan Regina and Josh Vasquez who wouldn’t feel safe being in class for the Fall semester but are still sad to not get to experience some of the things that are just not the same off-campus.
Jordan Regina
“I am happy that Pepperdine is doing online classes to ensure our safety because I wouldn’t be comfortable being in class with other students right now. I am bummed though because it’s my last year and I won’t get to experience all the fun things like waves weekend one last time.”
Josh Vasquez
“I think that I’ve definitely been disappointed with the decision to take classes online, especially since I was really looking forward to spending time with my friends and getting to know freshman since I was going to be an SLA. With that being said, I do think that taking classes online is going to be for the best and will help mitigate the spreading of the virus. I’m also grateful for (some) professors putting in the extra effort to make classes as enjoyable as possible over zoom!”
Personally, I am in the same boat as Jordan and Josh. In-person class just doesn’t seem safe for now, but I am saddened to not be able to work my on-campus job, sit in the Payson library booths, and even walk up those treacherous stairs.
No matter how you’re feeling about this school year or what grade you’re in, we are all struggling somehow in some way, but we’ve got this! Let’s kick Zoom University’s butt!