A new stage
The first days of college are always a bit nerve-wracking. Sometimes we don’t know anyone (not even the city if we have traveled to study), the campuses are huge and we get lost looking for the classrooms, the teaching platforms are still a mystery… It’s normal; In a few weeks we will feel at home, but at first it may cost a bit. The usual thing is, in these first weeks, to focus on meeting people and becoming familiar with the facilities, but now you also have to take care of complying with security measures and being safe.
Security before everything
All universities are implementing measures so that students and teachers are as protected as possible from COVID-19. There are universities that test their students, but, in general, there will be a blended regime with smaller groups of students and that respect physical distancing when it comes to going to class. There will be hydroalcoholic gels in the classrooms and, surely, thermometers to check that no one has a fever. The masks will be mandatory use at all times.
And how do you make friends in such a situation?
Well, no need to worry: exactly the same as before. It is true that social distancing and wearing a mask could be, a priori, a problem, but we must think that everyone is going to be in the same situation and everyone is going to have the same desire to meet their new companions. You have to overcome shyness and adapt to changes.
It is a rare moment, but we will still be able to make great friends and enjoy ourselves; the difference is that we must be more respectful of the personal space of others and not be influenced by group pressure to go beyond the rules. We must remember that for this situation to end as soon as possible, we all have to collaborate. With this pandemic, we must apply what Thomas Reid said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and not get carried away by social pressure. If someone approaches us without respect for our health, they will not be a good friend.
To avoid conflicts and misunderstandings, it is good that we practice our assertiveness and can ask for respect without bad vibes.
Student flats
The university will surely be blended or completely remote if the situation worsens. For this reason, our needs when it comes to renting a room or going to a residence have changed. Now we must choose our home with much more attention. We must have good light and a good table and chair because, in addition to the normal study, we will do many online classes . The people with whom we are going to share the house (if we cannot afford a private apartment or room in a residence) must be equally responsible and commit to taking adequate hygiene measures. In addition, we will need to have a good internet connection so that we are not left hanging in the middle of a class.
Right now, many landlords are making contracts for students designed so that they can return to their homes at any time without paying an extra cost to leave the rented house before the minimum stipulated term. If we find an understanding landlord, so much the better.
Will it be more difficult to study online ?
Depending on what we study, there will be subjects with more or less syllabus, easier and more difficult, exactly the same as when it is all face-to-face. It is clear that the university is not the institute and that we are going to notice the change, but if we want to get our professional ghostwriting carrer to have a good future and work on what we like, we better get used to the idea that nothing is given away and that we will have to make an effort.
That said, the fact that it is online , blended or face-to-face is not a problem. The trick to getting a degree right is none other than getting organized properly and studying hard. There’s no more. The initial blended modality will help us to become familiar with the platform and the dynamics of the classes. If then everything goes to the distance education format, we will already know how to do it.
Keep in mind that last year was a bit chaotic because everything had to be adjusted from one day to the next, changing the teaching model and adapting the syllabi. But in this course we are all, universities, teachers and students, much more prepared and psyched.
Congratulations to those of you who will soon be new university students: you are going to start a wonderful stage and learn many interesting things!
