College Choice

The global pandemic caused by COVID 19 has changed everyone's life, from the shutdown of daily life to the introduction of fashion-forward masks. COVID has most of us beat, but has it beaten Champlain College?

When applying to college students chose Champlain for a reason; maybe the scholarships offered or the amazing tight-knit community. Students often view the campus experience through rose-colored glasses. Have those glasses chipped because of the pandemic?

On the 2nd of February, 2021, a survey was sent out to Champlain students—both remote and on-campus—to discover why they chose Champlain, and if that view changed in any way because of COVID.

In the conducted survey, 61.5% of students answered that the structure of the school's curriculum was the reason they chose Champlain. Champlain offers an “upside-down” curriculum where students begin learning within their major during their first year. Students’ opinions of Champlain changed because of the drastic changes wrought by Covid. The anonymous responses were overwhelming, many stating that the measures enacted by the college had significantly reduced their enthusiasm...

One student stated, “When at first I came back to campus last semester the school made it sound like we would again behaving in-person classes, that was obviously not the case... I'm very frustrated with how the school is handling COVID, for a school that constantly preaches how important mental health is, it is pretty quick to enact measures that they came up with on their own, that are incredibly debilitating to one's mental health.”

Not all students saw Champlain’s response in a negative light. “I had an amazing first semester and I hope this one will also be the same,” said one respondent.

As Champlain continues to navigate the crisis of COVID, students will have to develop coping mechanisms for the challenges they face.

By Mila Alicea

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