Many college students have been put into a tough situation. Many have to decide if they will stay at colleges in the hope of returning to class safely; or coming home and trying to complete classes online. This all comes with the overcoming stress and uncertainty that many face during the pandemic. Many worry about what their future will hold and if they will even be able to finish college on time and if it’s just a waste of time. 

With the future so unknown it has been hard for colleges to prepare. Many services that were not used as much have increased drastically because of the online learning environments. Along with this colleges don’t know what to do to keep their students enrolled and soon might end up with financial problems as well.

The University of Colorado Boulder better known as CU Boulder states on their website, “we intend to resume in-person instruction with on-campus student activities and experiences on Feb. 15” later going on to say, “we will provide an update by Jan. 14 to confirm the university’s plans.” The university says that the worst part about this whole experience is dealing with the uncertainty that is affecting everyone.

The switch to an online environment has changed how students adapt to college. Emily Benitez, a freshman at Colorado Mesa University says that, “it has been pretty hard to wake up early for online class” and later goes to say that she, “stays up later than she normally would working on classwork.”

This hardship is also being felt by Ashley Zoerner who is studying Psychology with a Premedical background at the University of Colorado Boulder. She says that she wishes that the lectures and videos were more interactive and hands on. This she feels would relate better to an in person classroom experience. This leaves the problem facing many students within the education system. Is school worth it while it is online right now? 

Since online learning is still new and a big change that didn’t come with much transition. Online courses are still adapting to the needs of not only teachers but also the students and all the support behind them. For many college students the monetary cost of college is something that they have been hoping to use to further their careers and education. With all the changes that have been made to make school safe that leaves the decision for many this coming year of whether or not it is still worth it in a virtual learning environment.

Zoerner and Benitez both said that they will be attending their respective colleges next year. Zoerner stated she is only doing so because, “she has already taken a semester off during college” saying that if she hadn’t already done so that she wouldn’t enroll for next year. 

Many students unsure of what next year will bring them may also choose to change their course loads. Zoerner states that she is going to, “add a minor and take an extra semester in undergraduate studies.” She says that this decision was in order to get more general knowledge instead of trying to do a lab heavy intensive graduate degree remotely from her computer.

Everything from the way school is being taught to how it is being interpreted has been changed due to the dire needs for safety among us all. Schools are adapting the best that they can to meet the requirements for the content that must be learned. For students for Zoerner who is interested in classes that would normally be taught in a lab with direct hand on instruction much is missing. 

With all the uncertainty colleges are releasing their plans for spring break. At the University of Colorado Boulder has been canceled meaning that the start date for the spring semester has been moved to later in the year along with two wellness days for students which the university will still be open for students to come into the building. Colorado Mesa University on the other hand will resume their current plan after the holidays according to their website, with the goal to test everyone coming back and isolate those that need to be isolated. 

Schools are trying their best to make sure that students are still learning in a safe environment by constantly adapting to provide the best programs that they can for their students; while also making sure that it feels like a normal school year. The future is unknown, what is known is that the future is being shaped by what is happening now to give students the best education possible for their futures to live up to their dreams.