The pandemic had an immense affect on many sectors including hugely disrupting the education of university students. As part of our “The Pandemic’s toll on university” series we have spoken to a number of students to find out how it has impacted them, what support their institution was offering and their view on the future of education. This is Hibo’s story.
Hi Hibo, I would love to hear how your studies have been impacted by Covid. What year are you currently in and what are you studying?
“I am currently in my second year of university studying law and I attend Birbeck university. I went back to uni on October 16th.”
How is your university schedule now structured, and what form are your studies in?
“Before, we would have a 1hr 30min lecture and 1hr 30min seminar per module which you would need to psychically attend every week. However, we now have a 1hr prerecorded lecture and a 45m mini class where we discuss the lecture (which around 300 students attend via blackboard). Our seminars have the same structure as before, but now take place via video call.”
When will you be physically going back to class?
The plan was to go back in January , but that would depend on the situation at that moment so it’s not guaranteed….But our library is open.
How has your daily routines and learning style changed with online lectures?
There hasn’t been a significant change to me personally because my university was an evening university. But I would say I have more time in the day now that I am not traveling there. Due to this, I feel like the university has given us more work because they feel we have more time and they moved up our assignments and exams by two months.
How are you finding your studies all being online, are there any benefits or issues?
I would say a downside has been that ,because lectures are pre-recorded, you don’t interact with the lecturers or get instant answers to your questions. You would need to write down your question and then wait until the weekly lecture discussion session to get your answer. I also feel like I am just doing internet work all the time.
Can you expand on what you mean by internet work?
Before when I was at uni, I would have to physically go into a class or a library and I would be interacting with people. But now there is minimal interaction and the only time I will need to hand work in is when my assignment is due in a few months time. For me personally, it feels lonely and isolating. I miss interacting with people.
How are you able to immerse yourself in the full uni experience and extra curricular activities when everything is online?
I haven’t. At all. There were [zoom] events happening, but [when i attended] there were just a bunch of people talking to each other with their camera on.
Has covid changed the way you view traditional education, what do you think the future of education will be?
It has shown me that you can do a whole degree online from anywhere in the world and this might be the direction things are heading. I was aware that you could do online university like the open university, but I was always hesitant. Now that we had no choice, it has opened my eyes more and I think more people might consider this option now. But if this happens I feel like university fees should reflect this.
Any advice you would give to fellow students in the same situation as you?
Don’t think you have all the time in the world just because you are home more often, organise your time and your work but don’t neglect your mental health.
No one can yet determine how long these restriction will be in place and when educational institutions will go back to physical teaching. Students like Hibo are feeling isolated from their peers and teachers, especially first year students who will not have the same experience as the years previous. For others, this might truly be a positive experience where they can study from the comfort of their home and cut down on their commute time.
However, one thing is clear, the pandemic will have a long term impact on education. Many people are stating that educational technology might be the solution to lessen the long term negative impact. But can activities done via zoom truly replace experiences like freshers fair or being with your course mates in your university campus?
