Obviously, due to the pandemic, Geneseo had to move online this semester. Now that finals are over (we hope everyone did well!) and graduation has occured (congrats 2020!) some of our writers wanted to sum up their online experiences.
While we know Geneseo students have many different opinions, we at HC know that Geneseo made the right choice for everyone’s health.
Emily Tsoi
Prior to actually beginning online classes, I thought this experience was going to be positive, and for the most part it was. All of my professors were accommodating as this was unfamiliar territory not only for students, but them as well. It was a little rocky at times because of Internet issues and difficulty focusing on my school work on my end, but it ended up working out eventually. Nothing can replace face-to-face instruction though, especially with science labs as I learned through my geology lab.
I really hope that we are able to be on campus in the fall. If we aren’t then at least this semester will have been an opportunity to see what worked and did not work for both professors and students in the online learning format.
H. Schiller
I’m so glad the semester has been online, as it was the responsible choice. I miss Geneseo a lot. I feel like it is more difficult to work at home because of noise, but I’m managing it. My professors have been wonderful and accommodating, and I have still learned a lot.
Rebecca Williamson
While I didn’t like being online at all, the semester ended up being pretty good. All of my professors were able to adjust. They were also very accommodating, but I missed seeing them face-to-face. I love in-person human interactions, so this entire pandemic has been hard for me. It was also hard being at home. I am lucky my parents let me borrow the basement for all of my work. Even though I was able to keep my work and personal lives separate, it was still hard to focus on assignments sometimes.
It was even difficult switching clubs to online format. HC at Geneseo did a great job. We held weekly Google meetings, but it would be amazing to be on-campus to recruit more next semester and bond in-person. I know other clubs held weekly chats. OGX—the dance club I’m in—held a few Instagram Live classes. I know Bhangra also held Zoom chats to dance. The Varsity Swimming and Diving team had Instagram workouts. The Lamron student newspaper—another club I’m in—continued publishing only online since we couldn’t print. Many senior showcases for the arts went virtual. The college even held many online events for students to get involved with, such as trivia, talent shows and everything in between. People were doing their best to stay active and be together (remotely). It was amazing to see Geneseo come together.
Hopefully, next semester we can be back in the classroom and allowed to run clubs on-campus, even if we have to put in a million health and safety precautions. However, I would never want to risk anyone’s health, so if we have to be online, at least we’re all more adjusted now.
We’ll all have to see what happens next semester. Whatever choice is made, we just want people to be safe.
Stay healthy, everyone!