Students are overwhelmed
Students are struggling as they adjust to the completely virtual semester. Professors and administrators should do more to help.
Hallie Wiltshire / Asst. Opinion Editor
As with most aspects of our new pandemic-addled world, no one in Fall 2019 would have believed you if you described our current Fall 2020 semester — yet here we are. The transition certainly hasn’t been easy and many students say they are feeling more overwhelmed and stressed than ever. Are USD faculty and administration giving students enough leeway, considering the novel learning experience, global pandemic, nation-wide social justice movement, and general messiness of 2020?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: Everyone is going through something and life remains atypical despite encouragement to accept this “new normal.” It is unrealistic to expect students to be able to complete assignments at the conventional pace of previous semesters and to remain productive throughout a condensed 14-week semester with no break.
Some students are working to help provide for their families. Others are caring for younger siblings who are also struggling to adjust to remote learning. Just online school itself can be challenging. Not everyone has a quiet space to attend classes or study. Many students grew accustomed to studying in the library or the SLP, but these options are no longer available. With all of these new responsibilities to juggle, it is no surprise that students are overwhelmed.
The pandemic continues to affect millions of people across the United States and it is unlikely to disappear soon. A vaccine remains far off on the horizon, with 11 potential vaccines only just having reached phase 3 of clinical trials. When President Harris announced the mandatory shift to campus-wide remote teaching on March 12, there were only 50 COVID-19 cases in San Diego. On October 13, there were 2,883 cases. This is a 5,666% increase from the case numbers in March that prompted the campus to initially close. If students were offered the latitude of pass/fail classes and extended deadlines then, why not now as well?
Some professors seem to be operating under the assumption that since students are always home, they must have more free time to do work. This is not the case. One of my professors continually falls behind on their syllabus and rather than adjusting it, they record and upload supplemental lectures to Blackboard as well as assign additional readings to accompany those lectures. Taking classes remotely allows professors to do this easily and creates an expectation for students to accommodate the extra workload with no issues.
There are some weeks where I don’t leave my apartment for five days straight because I have so many assignments. I feel pressure to produce the same quality of work as I did in an in-person class, and it’s simply impossible.
Due to COVID-19 safety restrictions, my safe out-of-my-apartment activities are limited to grocery shopping and meandering around Target trying to smell candles through my face mask. I struggle to separate my “school” brain from my “relax” brain, and quickly become drained as a result. Staring at my laptop screen for more than 12 hours a day doesn’t help either. Between class and homework, escaping technology is unfeasible. Eye fatigue, headaches, and pain from sitting at my desk all day are now a normal part of my life. These issues contribute to my diminished ability to concentrate.
Not all hope is lost, however. Professors can help students get through the semester and end on a strong note. On a foundational level, professors need to demonstrate compassion and flexibility with students. While deadlines should be encouraged to keep students up to date with their work, professors should also be willing to accommodate students if something comes up. Students should also have the option to take any of their classes pass/fail if they so desire, as was offered last semester. This would relieve pressure and assist in the transition to a full semester online.
I urge all USD faculty to consider the stress that students are currently under. Thinking about something as normal as school during a pandemic is hard, and extra work does not make it easier. If you are a student who is feeling overwhelmed, consider reaching out to the Counseling Center on campus. They are offering telehealth assessment, consultation, and support services during business hours. A Mental Health Counselor is also available 24/7 for urgent mental health concerns. Times are tough, but we will all get through this together.
The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.