So many people have been affected by this pandemic and everyone is definitely starting to get tired of this whole ordeal. Some people are still being affected by this pandemic both directly and indirectly, though. Some are getting the virus and others are losing opportunities because of this sickness.
College students are struggling right now, too, and they have to make big decisions because of this illness.
I am going into my sophomore year at Miami University. Our schedule has been changed twice now. At first, our move-in dates were moved forward to August 17th and classes would all move fully online until Thanksgiving break. The professors were able to make the choice on whether or not their classes were online, hybrid, or in-person.
After checking my schedule, I had three fully online classes, one hybrid, and one in-person class. This meant that I was mostly online, but I was still able to be on campus and interact with professors to some degree. Then, about two weeks prior to moving in, students got an email stating that a phased moved in was now in place. Second and third-year students would now be moving in a month later, in September, and leaving still in November and not returning. Options were given such as going all online and getting housing money back and credit towards next semester, moving off-campus, or continuing to move-in during the September move date.
Some colleges are doing things differently, however, most students are given the option to go fully online for the semester. This creates a dozen questions in each students' mind. The issue is that the universities don't have enough answers or they don't have enough people to answer all the questions. This leaves the students to try and make the best decisions without all of the information.
Would a majority of the students like to go back? Yes, but some have other things to worry about, such as family members that are at risk or financial situations, so it may not be up to what they want or what would make them happiest.
I am very blessed and don't have to worry too much about these outside factors, but the choice is still hard for me. I am very unsure of what I want to do and how I want to handle this semester. Part of me wants to go back and be with my friends even if it is just for a small amount of time or even live off-campus with them. The other part of me wants to just go fully online and save money so I can put it towards next semester.
Overall, I have no idea what I plan to do, and many college students are in the same position, they have no idea what to do. Being a college student right now is extremely hard and full of tough questions. Everyone is unsure of what to do and no one has a definitive correct answer.