The Transformation of Education Caused by COVID-19

MANASA VEMARAJU – The face of education has changed dramatically since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. For me, it was jarring to have a pre-pandemic freshman year at UGA and going completely online for my second year. Everything that I thought was characteristic of college life suddenly did not exist: largely populated lecture halls, Saturday football pre-games, or even struggling to fit inside a student-packed Orbit bus. My first walk around campus earlier this semester shocked me, seeing as some days, I was the only person on Myers Quad or in the Tate breezeway. 

Online school, fondly named “Zoom University”, quickly became my new normal. Although it continues to be tiresome to have classes and club meetings back to back on Zoom, I couldn’t help but notice a benefit to Zoom University that I had not considered before. I was able to do more, meaning that I did not have to miss meals to go to classes and I was able to participate more in clubs despite not being able to drive. I also did not have to fight to find a front seat in a lecture hall so I could squint up at the smartboards when I forgot my glasses, but instead I was able to just change the screen size on my laptop. If I woke up particularly anxious or depressed, I was able to skip the synchronous lecture to a class and watch the recorded version, with closed captioning, later in the day. I no longer needed to pick between my well being and my education. This year, I was able to do both. 

I know that my experience with online schooling is not unique, and that a lot of my friends feel the same way. The new face of education presented to students during the pandemic, despite causing Zoom fatigue and lack of productivity in some, was far more accessible to most. As some of my classes did away with their attendance policies, I was able to take a mental or physical health day without the guilt or negative impact to my GPA. Pre-recorded lectures, for example, made it so that students who needed to work would not need to compromise their education. Closed captioning on lectures and larger font sizes online made education more accessible. Although technology in itself is not as accessible, and a lot of classrooms lost the aspect of socialization and teamwork, online learning came with many merits that I believe should be maintained post-pandemic. The education system has remained inaccessible and inconsiderate of mental health for far too long, and after having seen the potential for schooling to change for the better, I hope that UGA’s plans for “returning to normal” consists of not just normalcy, but improvement.

Copy Editor: Amal Jan

Photography Source: Shweta Mistry, https://www.edweek.org/leadership/schools-are-retreating-to-remote-learning-as-covid-19-surges-do-they-have-to/2020/11