As a student, this past year has certainly been far from normal. COVID-19 has certainly altered the college experience. Although the majority of UNH students returned to campus this semester, many chose to remain home by taking online course options. The University of New Hampshire has worked hard to ensure that all students can still have a strong academic experience both virtually and in person.
For me, I returned to campus for the fall 2020 semester and lived in Mills Hall, a suite-style dorm for upperclassmen students near downtown Durham. My academic experience this fall consisted of a mixture of course styles. Two of my courses were entirely online, one was completely in person, and another was hybrid, meaning we would meet in person one day a week and online the other. For my final lab course, I had the choice to attend in person or online. Even for my in-person courses , there were alternative, virtual options available for all students in case they couldn’t attend a class for safety or health reasons. This mixture of course styles definitely required some adapting to after two years of “regular” college, but I still enjoyed it. The courses related to my major were in person, allowing me to truly immerse myself in class while being physically distanced. Although my electives were held online and not in person, my professors went out of their way to make my academic experience as unique and interactive as possible.
Socially, this semester was an even larger adjustment. You couldn’t just knock on your neighbors’ doors to meet people, go to club or organization meetings in person, grab lunch with a group, attend sporting events or concerts, etc. Each student had to pick and choose who they were going to surround themselves with in person and recognize those people as their “close contacts.” I was impressed by how students handled COVID-19, even though it impacted them socially. No matter where you were, even outside with nobody within 100 feet, students had their masks on over their mouth and nose. The resident assistants also participated in making this fall’s campus experience as enjoyable as possible by doing virtual or socially-distanced events, such as pumpkin carving, walks through college woods, or virtual bingo. Even though things were different, there was always something to do.
At the beginning of each month, students would pick up a month’s worth of self-swab testing kits. Each student had two designated times each week when they were required to turn in their self-swab COVID-19 test. The testing times were spread out and determined by your college. I am a student in the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, so I submit my tests on Monday and Thursday afternoons. The drop boxes are located in various accessible places throughout campus. On my way to class on Mondays, for instance, I would drop off my test outside Health and Wellness, while on Thursdays I would drop it off in Holloway Commons on my way to get lunch. This made it convenient for students to ensure that all tests would be submitted. Within a day of being submitted, my test results were uploaded to an online portal.
We also have something called a “Wildcat Pass,” which is individualized to display your testing status. If you have a red “X” mark on your Wildcat Pass, then your pass is invalid due to having COVID-19 or not submitting your test. If this is the case, you are either required to move into quarantine/isolation housing or submit your test; you cannot return to class or any building other than your dorm room until your pass becomes valid again.
This semester definitely had its downsides and struggles, but overall I enjoyed returning to campus and being with my peers. Faculty, staff, students and the citizens of Durham all worked hard to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all.
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