By: Heather Waldo
Everyone is well aware of the effects of COVID-19. It has practically impacted every aspect of everyone’s lives. People all around the world have been forced to change their daily routines, how they work, how they interact with others and so on. That being said, college students are not exempt from all of these changes. Students of all levels are having to learn in new ways and roll with the punches. Here at Longwood University, we in the Communication Studies program wanted to see what students have learned so far from going to college during a pandemic.
We first received students’ feedback on going to college during COVID-19 from a recent social media post. Click here to view the original post. We then followed up with these students and others and asked them more questions about their experiences.
TJ Wengert, recent Communication Studies graduate.
TJ Wengert (’20), a Digital Media concentration, mentioned how transitioning to online classes during the spring semester of his senior year was a challenge. He also mentioned that his professors adjusted their teaching strategies and was pleased with the overall outcome.
“Once online, professors had to change their plan a fair amount to accommodate for Zoom, but I think they did a great job. One class had us put on a talk show, with a four-person group that made up the talent and another group of four charged with the production of the show. That’s just one example of how Longwood and its staff began to adjust, which made the process that much easier.”
One commonality that showed up was that being involved on campus is helping students feel more connected and at peace with all of the changes.
Sarah Danco, junior.
Sarah Danco, a junior and Liberal Studies major with a concentration in Special Education said, “Keep finding ways to get involved! It is a hard semester for us all but, everyone is so supportive. Also dive into the Longwood spirit. It will make you love this campus even during this hard time.”
Another student who believes finding ways to get involved on campus can help is Cassie Barber, a junior and Communication Studies major with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Psychology.
Cassie Barber, junior.
Cassie is involved in the InterVarsity group on campus. She described how her involvement in this group has been helping her throughout this challenging semester and provided advice for students.
“I think the thing that is helping me the most is definitely my Christian community I have with Longwood InterVarsity. It has helped keep me grounded in this confusing time. Also, it makes adjusting to this new way of learning easier. Whether it is a Christian community or not, I strongly recommend getting involved with campus. Getting involved with something can help this challenging time so much because you see other people going through the same thing and you get to help each other.”
Students also mentioned how keeping a consistent schedule makes their school days seem more normal.
Kayleigh Winebarger, sophomore.
Kayleigh Winebarger, a sophomore and Elementary Education major said, “I have given myself a day to day routine in order for my days to feel consistent. I continue to set aside time to study and attend virtual office hours.”
While students are doing all they can to adjust to the multitude of changes, some aspects of campus life have stayed close to the same.
Dalton Floyd, senior.
Dalton Floyd, a senior and Communication Studies major with a concentration in Digital Media, is involved in WMLU, Longwood’s radio station. He mentioned how the meetings and shows are relatively the same, just with the addition of everyone wearing masks. However, they have started conducting more hybrid meetings. Floyd also said, “Thankfully with my involvement on campus, there really are few things that are different and that I miss.”
Jamila Cromartie, a junior and Communication Studies major with a concentration in Digital Media, also thinks that some aspects of college feel close to the same.
Jamila Cromartie, junior.
When asked what aspects of college feel the same to her, Jamila said, “The energy from the professors. I know that online classes are a bummer, but professors are still being engaging, positive and upbeat. Especially the Comm. professors, they make the zoom environment still feel like we’re in a classroom. Dr. Paal for example is always playing music at the beginning of his zoom classes, which is something he used to do when we had classes in person.”
It is no question students are being challenged in ways in which they never have been before. However, another commonality found among students’ feedback was their understanding and compassion for their classmates during this time. Students are well aware that their time here could be cut short if everyone doesn’t follow the new rules and guidelines. Under such unique and challenging circumstances, the students of Longwood are more united now than ever before. Each one wants to do their part in making sure everyone can stay on campus and have a somewhat normal college experience. All students whether they are a part of the #COMMunity or not, should know we are all in this together and we will get through this.