Learning How to Learn in a Pandemic

Here’s something we never thought we’d ask ourselves: “Does this mask make me look stupid?” (The answer is no, by the way. No one cares what mask you’re wearing, as long as you’re wearing one.)

Students and teachers have been forced to transition into a new world of teaching and learning—one that involves face coverings, social distancing and our trusty friend Zoom. We spent almost a full semester learning to navigate class on Zoom earlier this year, but now being back on campus and attending in-person classes feels like a breath of fresh air, even if it’s air we’ve never breathed before.

With COVID-19 regulations in mind, professors are adjusting how their classes work. Photo from pixabay.com.

Because of Coronavirus, we’ve been forced to change the way we attend classes. Professors have either chosen to teach completely online or conduct hybrid classes, where students are split into groups, alternating which days they meet in person and online.

Although this transition has quickly become “the new norm” (a phrase we use way too often nowadays), students and teachers are very aware of how COVID guidelines have begun to alter the class atmosphere.

“I miss being able to make friends in class,” says Elon student Gabi Drumm. “I used to be able to lean on people and make connections with classmates, but now that seems almost impossible.” Now in her second year at Elon, she realizes how she took that pleasure for granted during her freshman year, saying how hard it must be for freshmen now to make friends in their classes and on campus.

When asked how the social aspect of classes has changed for her, sophomore Tori Glaser shared a similar sentiment. “It’s hard because you can’t make friends anymore in class. It feels more like you against the world instead of the community learning atmosphere we used to have,” says Glaser.

Tori’s roommate Meredith agreed with her, highlighting how hard it is to build relationships with professors now. “They seem to never hear me with my mask on and with how far away we all sit from each other,” she says.

Not only has the social aspect changed in class, but so have our classroom anxieties. Randomly getting called on or failing a test are no longer our only fears. “I feel nervous in class now, not knowing if someone near me could have COVID and not know,” says Meredith. “Class just feels so much more awkward now.”

Professors at Elon seem happy to be back teaching in person, even if it has its challenges. Tita Ramirez, an English professor at Elon says the transition to hybrid learning is hard but not as hard as she thought it would be. “The hardest part is hearing everyone because of the masks and the distance,” she says. “But I think I had built it up in my head to be this torturous experience that it’s not.”

Students are adjusting to new ways of learning in the midst of the pandemic. Photo from pixabay.com.

Ramirez holds her classes outdoors, where students can spread as far apart as they like. “I find myself doing a lot of translating what someone said for the people sitting far away from them,” Ramirez says.

New students at Elon have surely had the hardest time creating bonds with their classmates, as freshman Kaitlyn Cox pointed out, saying how her learning experience has changed slightly more than she was expecting. “As a freshman, the lack of the social aspect when going to class has taken some getting used to,” she says. “It’s difficult to communicate with others in the classroom because masks make it hard to understand what someone else is saying.”

Even with the challenges this year has brought, Kaitlyn says she is trying to stay positive. “Despite all of this, I have been trying to make the best of the situation!”

For students around the world, whether it’s grade school, high school or college, we are all striving to stay positive while continuing our education. Hopefully by this time next year, we will be back to in-person classes without limitations and continuing to make the connections within our community that we all miss.