As the new school year begins and students have registered for fall classes, many are unsure of what to expect from Georgia State’s unique blended learning environment.
According to Georgia State Ahead, the university believes in staying within the requirements of COVID-19 guidelines while being “committed to staying safe,” some students feel as if their education is at risk due to environmental changes.
Students having their whole college experience change while heading into their senior year or freshman year of college can be quite a challenge. For some, this change to online classes might have been something that they wanted, but for others, in-person is the only way they can truly learn.
For students like Kaylynn McCarthy, a sophomore, this change is something she never saw coming as she finished her freshman year at Georgia State.
“I was hoping to start knowing almost everything would be a repeat of my freshman year with new classes,” McCarthy said. “Now, I feel anxious about the school year because this changes how I adapt to the new school year’s policies, environmental changes and classes.”
Luckily for her, she took dual enrollment courses provided by her high school, so she had an easier time adjusting to online learning to the point that she now favors it.
Tiajah Freeman, a senior majoring in social work at Georgia State, believes that online learning is not only better for them academically but physically as far as health is concerned.
“I prefer online learning because not only will in-person learning be uncomfortable to be in, but it will also be a bad idea for someone like me [who] has a weak immune system,” Freeman said.
Having the ability to do school work and participate in class while in the comfort of their home or dorm is a huge plus to Georgia State students who prefer online learning.
Junior psychology major Allen Chung feels as if schooling from home can be beneficial but can still cause many issues.
“I found it quite difficult to manage my courses and their respective due dates effectively with all of the endless distractions at home — there were many nights where I would realize the extent of my procrastination and be haunted by the never-ending list of things to do,” Chung said.
After the previous semester ended, many students like junior psychology major Zoe Vinyard realized how heavily dependent they were on the hands-on aspect of in-person learning and its effects on their ability to learn and retain information.
“Online learning is really hard for individuals like myself who are visual, hands-on learners,” Vinyard said.
With the new circumstances that the students of Georgia State will face, this will spark new challenges that they have never seen before.
“It might be hard, but it’s not impossible,” Chung said.
