Virtual Learning, Real Pain

As the snow covers the ground and winter continues, so does virtual learning for the college students located in Burlington Vermont.

Virtual learning—one outcome caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic—has continued to have a toll on students' physical and mental health and their opportunities for socialization.

This is especially true for Beth Schum, a junior at the University of Vermont. “Virtual learning has affected me in a variety of ways.” Schum says, “Some parts of it I like” she stated, such as her Animal Science class. They are on a set schedule to follow which makes learning a bit easier. However, it’s not optimum for Schum. “One thing that I don't like about that is that they don't have a lecture,” meaning some classes are asynchronous. Schum is not the only student with classes structured in this way.

Many students feel as though asynchronous classes are not the same and make it harder to learn. Schum pointed out that she “really benefited from having a lecture because I am a visual learner, I like seeing the teacher, I like to write notes about what is going on in the class.”

The effect of virtual learning on students has been “detrimental,” according to Schum. “ I wasn’t really doing anything. I tried to work out but that didn’t go well. A bit later I started to go out more, a couple of times a week.” Schum continued, “mentally my anxiety has worsened a little bit.” And Schum is not the only one. As many already know, college students’ mental health was already at record levels, but as Science News stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic made U.S. college students’ mental health even worse”

It has also been hard for students to keep their health in good condition and find things to do in their free time. Schum started “snowboarding this winter, last semester I skateboarded.” She noted that “ getting out of the house is always a good thing to do,” because being stuck inside for long periods of time can negatively affect wellbeing.

But there are things that students can do to combat the pandemic. Schum suggests “to go out with friends that are within your group. The ones that you spend the most time with and the ones that you aren’t worried about because you know they don’t have COVID. You don’t want to be by yourself, that will make you feel lonely and like you're sheltering yourself.”

Schum notes that it is not to say that you can just ignore COVID. College students still need to be careful. It is best to stay active and spend time with friends as it will help keep you happy.

By Jude Lindale

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