College students are ready to step into a classroom this fall despite concerns about the coronavirus.
“I am very comfortable and excited to attend in-person classes in the fall,” Elias Korpela, a senior at George Washington University, told the Washington Examiner. Even if he were to get the virus, he is unlikely to get seriously ill, he said, so he is willing to risk it to get back to class.
Children, teenagers, and young adults have had significantly lower rates of dying from COVID-19 than older people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young people are also less likely to get severely ill from the virus, the CDC says.
“I am excited to see my classmates again and interact with the faculty on a more ‘normal’ basis,” said Brian Walsh, a second-year law student at American University Washington College of Law. He said that he understands that the coronavirus will still be a concern, but “life has to go on, and we can’t let fear dictate our lives.”
One student expressed concern for the older professors and relatives that interact with college students. “I’ve had a few friends in their late teens and 20s that have gotten it and were all asymptomatic,” said Jacob Palmer, a junior majoring in political science at Henderson State University. Students will have to social distance from older family and friends for a while, but he is not worried about himself or his peers going back to school in the fall, Palmer said.
Another reason students are eager to get back in the classrooms is so they do not have to take classes online anymore. Some students struggled with their classes being online, and others feel online classes are not worth tuition.
Varij Shah, a student at the University of Texas, said his school is taking precautions that make him feel safe enough to go back, but he is unsure if he will due to the possibility of some classes being online again.
If classes are going to be online again next semester, it’s not worth the price of full tuition, he said. His qualms about reenrolling are “more financial- than health-related,” Shah told the Washington Examiner.
It was hard not getting in-person instruction, said Kara Wozniak, a senior at Washington and Jefferson College. “Being a STEM major requires a lot of labs and difficult techniques that our professors are unable to teach us over Zoom. I want to be able to get what I’m paying for,” she said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of Trump’s coronavirus response team, has spoken in favor of reopening schools in the fall for children but said that each school will have to take the necessary precautions to stay safe. “You know, modifications could be breaking up the class, so you don’t have a crowded classroom, maybe half in the morning, half in the afternoon, having children doing alternate schedules. There’s a whole bunch of things that one can do,” Fauci said in a CNN interview last Thursday.
Although some schools are considering doing some classes online or not having students return after Thanksgiving break, there is a contrast between how students believe small schools and big schools can handle the virus.
Henderson State University is a small school in Arkansas. There isn’t much it can do to adhere to social distancing guidelines, said Palmer.
“Ensuring that students are seated 6 feet apart from one another just isn’t feasible for some classrooms,” said Palmer. “Decreasing class sizes without offering more sections wouldn’t work either because students need specific courses to stay on track to graduate.”
“We rarely have classes with more than 20 to 25 people anyways, so I’m not too worried about the class size aspect,” said Jon Voos, a student at Austin College. While promoting social distancing is fine, Voos said, he believes students will just meet up after classes and break those guidelines.
Kennesaw State University, a school with 38,000 people, has committed to going back in the fall but has not released official guidelines.
“I think a lot more classes than normal will be online like a lot of our general education classes,” said Ellie Hicks, a senior studying public relations and professional writing at KSU. Ellie wants her school to have students spaced 6 feet apart in larger classes, but for normal rooms, she “doesn’t see that being a problem.”
Both small and large colleges are still weighing their options as they figure out how to keep students and faculty safe this fall while allowing them back on campus.
Washington and Jefferson College hopes to be back together this fall but is adhering to guidance from the CDC and Pennsylvania’s Department of Health. “Given the volatility of the virus, we are also aware that as a community, we will need to work together to create the safest environment for all of our community members as we move forward,” said Erin Jones, associate director for marketing and communication at the college.
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown is still in the planning phase of how it will handle the coronavirus this fall and will make an announcement at the end of the month, said Eric Sloss, the executive director of communications for UPJ.
Ohio State University is switching to online classes after Thanksgiving break and having its finals online as well. Arizona State University is offering classes in person and online for the fall.
