The DePaulia
Ella Lee, Print Managing Editor|March 14, 2021
Alik Schier has trouble viewing his college classes as what they are: school.
“I know I’ve got to do class, but it’s like — camera off, mic off, taking notes and then ‘bye!’” the DePaul freshman said, slamming an imaginary laptop.
Schier is just one of 19.6 million American college students who plunged into online schooling last spring when the Covid-19 pandemic began infecting millions, decimating normal everyday life. A year later, the effects that those changes have had on students are becoming apparent.
“Online school is one of the most challenging experiences, especially when starting a completely new format of schooling in general,” said Austin Glass, a freshman at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “I don’t know the expectations other than just get work done, and it’s honestly stressful when that becomes my entire identity at the school. I feel like success has been reduced completely to turning in assignments and attending class, and I can’t even say if I’m really learning anything or just doing assignments.”