New Normal Learning

Our “New Normal” as
College Students Still

Comes with Challenges
and Uncertainty
For college students everywhere, March 2020 is a month that will never
be forgotten. As we were all adapting to the spring semester and finally
getting into the swing of things, suddenly everything we knew came to a
halt.
When the news came out that all colleges would shut down and classes
would move online, I felt a ton of emotions that I could not quite grasp.
What would this mean for my courses going forward? How would the
fall semester look? When will we be able to return to campus?
Well, here we are in September with most courses remaining online and
so much uncertainty lying ahead. While some students do have the
option to attend classes in-person, life on Rowan’s campus just does not
feel the same. Will we ever be able to get back to the way things were
before COVID-19?
Attending my classes in a virtual setting has its perks, like being able to
stay comfy and not having to commute, but the lack of face-to-face social
interaction is something that cannot be replaced.
As a senior who will be graduating in the spring, never did I imagine my

time at Rowan being like this. While I cannot speak for other students, I
can only imagine that they feel the same way. Not being able to
physically be on campus is a sad and strange feeling.
Life as a college student is not supposed to be spent on a computer all

day long. In my opinion, lectures should be taught in classrooms.
Professors should be able to have conversations with their students face-
to-face. As impatient as I am in wanting all these things to happen again,
I must remind myself that the safety and well-being of others outweighs
my own personal desires.
Walking around Rowan’s campus is not the same as it was seven

months ago. Where we would see students walking together as they
made their way to class, there are now empty sidewalks. Academic
buildings remain quiet and scarcely populated. I cannot help but think
that the vision I had of what my time at Rowan would be like has
changed completely.
As with everything else in life that now has a new meaning, the college
experience has completely changed. At this moment, it is no longer
about going to class, hanging out with your friends or attending a game
on-campus. All we can do is wait for the day when all classes resume in-
person and we can get back to the way things used to be.
I must admit that although virtual learning has its setbacks, there is no
other option than to make the best of this new way of life. While we
cannot physically see each other, we still can see each other virtually,
and that is better than nothing. Even if it is only on our computer
screens.
Right now, we can all be together but apart. If all goes well, by next year
Rowan’s campus will thrive once again. That is certainly something I
hope for every day. Profs have never given up on staying strong and this
inspires me to do the same.
he college experience in the ‘new normal’

By: Ashley Tan Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:00 AM September 26,
2020
“COVID-19 (new coronavirus disease) has forced all of us to reimagine
how we deliver an engaging and holistic learning experience for
students. While it presents its challenges, it is also a massive
opportunity to break out of old habits and create new, impactful, relevant
modes of learning that take advantage of technology and this moment.”
—Gaidi Faraj, dean of African Leadership University
With college comes new experiences. Nearly every student has
dreamed of the college experience in one way or another. From a new
campus and forming lasting relationships to the long-awaited
independence from family, the college experience awaits.
Just like any experience, it will be different for everyone. But the focal
points of the college experience have been vastly similar across the
globe for years—classes on campus, meet-ups with friends, on-campus
living.
But times have changed and the long-awaited college experience we’ve
come to know has gone through a drastic change.
With very few exceptions, a college degree is necessary for a high-
paying, high-status job, which gains you respect both socially and
economically.
Students around the world hold college education to utmost importance.
In the United States, this has led students into financial debt that they
must pay back for many years after graduating. According to a study by
the Federal Reserve, each of over half of batch 2018 college graduates
owed $29,800 (P1.5 million).
Many colleges around the world had plans to improve the college
experience with the use of technology. Then came COVID-19. Campus
life has become restricted for everyone’s well-being. Colleges have been
forced to quickly implement new ideas that change the college
experience as we know it.
Classes were moved online, study abroad programs were cancelled,
campus life was shut down. Many students are still confined to their
homes, wondering how and how long this global health crisis will affect
their college experience.
As virtual education continues to grow, more parents are faced with the decision of
whether or not to enroll their child in an online course. Students take online courses
for a plethora of reasons: a school may not offer a particular class that a student is
interested in taking, or a student may need to retake courses to gain credit without
having to repeat a grade or attend summer school, to name a few.
Even after a parent has enrolled their child in a virtual class, those parents may have
concerns about things like course structure and the overall learning experience.
Online education may be completely new to some of your students’ parents, so it’s
important for a program’s or provider’s administrators, teachers, and other student
learning support personnel to be ready to answer their questions and address their
concerns. And while managing concerns is paramount for parents whose children are
new to online learning, it is equally important to maintain the same level of support
with parents who are a bit more experienced.
Top 3 Parental Concerns:
1. Will the lack of teacher–student interaction affect my child’s learning experience?
While it is true that students are not getting the same type of contact
from their teacher as they would in a brick-and-mortar setting, most
virtual schools have policies in place to foster the virtual relationship
between teacher and student. Make sure that your school has a clear
and openly-communicated policy in place.
If a parent expresses this concern, take the time to reach out to both
parent and student often. Provide various avenues for contact and
communication, and be sure that your classroom facilitates a learning
environment that utilizes synchronous and asynchronous
communication.
2. I’m concerned that my child will not be able to self-monitor.
Most virtual school settings allow for students to work at their own
pace, but there is typically a set end date for when the students have
to complete their work. Teachers must communicate the end date and
weekly expectations of the student upfront, so that the parent is not
faced with any surprises later in the semester.
This is a real concern in virtual education. One way to address this

concern is to check student progress frequently and provide updates
to both parent and student. It is important that teachers, students,
and parents are all partners in learning to ensure that students are on
track to succeed.
3. What if my child is unable to stay engaged in the material?

Engagement can be a factor in every type of classroom, but may be
more concerning to parents whose children are enrolled in an online
course. Keeping up communication, providing real and tangible
feedback on student work, and creating supplemental activities that
are especially relevant to students are just a few ways to keep
students connected to what they’re learning. Communication is key,
especially in the classroom setting!

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Our “New Normal” as

College Students Still

As a senior who will be graduating in the spring, never did I imagine my

Life as a college student is not supposed to be spent on a computer all

Walking around Rowan’s campus is not the same as it was seven

he college experience in the ‘new normal’

Top 3 Parental Concerns:

1. Will the lack of teacher–student interaction affect my child’s learning experience?

2. I’m concerned that my child will not be able to self-monitor.

This is a real concern in virtual education. One way to address this

3. What if my child is unable to stay engaged in the material?

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