As I sit at my desk in my childhood bedroom with a cup of tea at hand, I still cannot believe that I have already been at university for a month, for I sometimes wonder if I'm even at university at all. This year has been defined by one defeating announcement after another, from that of a national lockdown to the cancellation of exams, and Zoom university fits right into the mix. It hasn't been all doom and gloom, don't get me wrong, but the experience could in many ways not be more different to that of my older peers. For that, I've decided to write a little post both entailing where I've been during this one-month hiatus and what this new experience has been like from the perspective of a first-year student. I hope you are all doing well and, as per usual, leave any thoughts in the comments below.
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For those who may not be aware and may find this piece of context handy, I've just begun my first year as an undergraduate at UCL reading Spanish.
Online Learning
In order to make this post more cohesive and easier to follow, I've decided to split it up into three main categories. The first category I want to delve straight into teaching and online learning since it is what university is really about.
Having seen the sheer number of scaremongering articles about what university online will be like, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of contact hours I have; I have 9-10 hours a week of seminars alone, which is quite a lot for your average humanities student! That is, however, partially due to the fact that I have an imbalance of modules per term and so naturally have more contact hours than usual. I won't lie, when it comes to the classes themselves, there have been a plethora of awkward moments. The fact of the matter is that meeting on platforms such as Zoom is simply not the same as having one-to-one interactions, although it is understandable in this current climate why such a thing is not happening. Similarly, I have found this to create a barrier when it comes to making friends on your course, and most of the people that I have spoken to have been those I already found on Instagram or Whatsapp.
Despite the fact that all teaching for my course is currently online, I can luckily still access the university's on-campus facilities such as the libraries. Being somebody that simply cannot take information in by staring at a screen, this has been pivotal to my learning, and the university's 'Click and Collect' service has made this all the more simple.
When it comes to the workload, I will be the first to tell you that I have found challenging to keep up with. This took me by surprise seeing as I had a relatively intense A-Level experience - although I suppose if we were to play devil's advocate, I don't know what I was expecting after a six-month break from full-time education. Nevertheless, I have found it more manageable as I have begun to plan my weeks meticulously, and I have asked to switch to a different module which would eliminate some stress for this term. Similarly, I suppose there is something to be said for the convenience of accessing all your classes at the touch of a few buttons, rather than having to move from building to building.
Leading on from the above, I did want to shed light on my poor admin experience with both my accommodation and my department. Whilst I understand that there have been many disruptions as a result of everything that is going on, the fact that timetables were only finalised several weeks into the course left a bad taste in many students' mouths. Similarly, it has been difficult to reach out to the department about certain course-related issues as replies have taken so long to receive - if at all.
Having seen the sheer number of scaremongering articles about what university online will be like, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of contact hours I have; I have 9-10 hours a week of seminars alone, which is quite a lot for your average humanities student! That is, however, partially due to the fact that I have an imbalance of modules per term and so naturally have more contact hours than usual. I won't lie, when it comes to the classes themselves, there have been a plethora of awkward moments. The fact of the matter is that meeting on platforms such as Zoom is simply not the same as having one-to-one interactions, although it is understandable in this current climate why such a thing is not happening. Similarly, I have found this to create a barrier when it comes to making friends on your course, and most of the people that I have spoken to have been those I already found on Instagram or Whatsapp.
Despite the fact that all teaching for my course is currently online, I can luckily still access the university's on-campus facilities such as the libraries. Being somebody that simply cannot take information in by staring at a screen, this has been pivotal to my learning, and the university's 'Click and Collect' service has made this all the more simple.
When it comes to the workload, I will be the first to tell you that I have found challenging to keep up with. This took me by surprise seeing as I had a relatively intense A-Level experience - although I suppose if we were to play devil's advocate, I don't know what I was expecting after a six-month break from full-time education. Nevertheless, I have found it more manageable as I have begun to plan my weeks meticulously, and I have asked to switch to a different module which would eliminate some stress for this term. Similarly, I suppose there is something to be said for the convenience of accessing all your classes at the touch of a few buttons, rather than having to move from building to building.
Leading on from the above, I did want to shed light on my poor admin experience with both my accommodation and my department. Whilst I understand that there have been many disruptions as a result of everything that is going on, the fact that timetables were only finalised several weeks into the course left a bad taste in many students' mouths. Similarly, it has been difficult to reach out to the department about certain course-related issues as replies have taken so long to receive - if at all.
The Student Experience: Societies, Events & Making Friends
I will not be the only student to say that, sadly, I do not feel as if I have made many friends since starting university. The fact of the matter is that government restrictions have made it very difficult to make friends outside of your flat; most societies are now taking place online, which leads me to the same issues I spoke about previously, and you do not have the chance to meet people by coincidence as previously.
Speaking of societies, I will say that immense efforts have been put in to best replicate the university experience of before. I myself have decided to join two societies but since they are exercise-based societies (ballet and salsa respectively), there hasn't been much in the way of socialising during the classes. Nevertheless, I have really enjoyed trying out things that I previously would not have tried and have tried to embrace the change. Similarly, I have applied for another volunteering role which I will hopefully begin next week.
Events-wise, I haven't found many of the university events appealing. On a personal level, this wasn't too great an issue for me and I decided to take advantage of all of the amazing things that London has to offer. In my first week alone I managed to visit The British Museum, Camden Market, Regent's Park, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and more! That's the great thing about London for me; I feel as if there's a highly enriching student experience to had if you take advantage of all that is offered.
Speaking of societies, I will say that immense efforts have been put in to best replicate the university experience of before. I myself have decided to join two societies but since they are exercise-based societies (ballet and salsa respectively), there hasn't been much in the way of socialising during the classes. Nevertheless, I have really enjoyed trying out things that I previously would not have tried and have tried to embrace the change. Similarly, I have applied for another volunteering role which I will hopefully begin next week.
Events-wise, I haven't found many of the university events appealing. On a personal level, this wasn't too great an issue for me and I decided to take advantage of all of the amazing things that London has to offer. In my first week alone I managed to visit The British Museum, Camden Market, Regent's Park, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and more! That's the great thing about London for me; I feel as if there's a highly enriching student experience to had if you take advantage of all that is offered.
Covid-19 Procedures
Unfortunately, in terms of the university's Covid-19 response, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, UCL has been very proactive in implementing the correct procedures on-campus and offering support to students in isolation by offering a £280 Uber Eats voucher. Conversely, I have seen first-hand that tests have taken an unreasonable amount of time to administer and return. There have been many people now that have contracted the virus, but I do not think that that is of a surprise to anybody; what with everybody scrambling to try and form some friendships and eager to explore their new surroundings.
While my experience has not been entirely rosy, I've still been able to have a good time and I'm enjoying being back in full-time education - oh, and having the independence! At the end of the day, it's a hectic climate for everybody to adjust to and no institution's handling of the scenario will be completely perfect. What has your university or school experience been like so far? Let me know in the comments below!