College and Connections

The Spring semester is finally here and while the COVID vaccine is slowly becoming more widely available, college students are still facing the difficulties of making connections in the times of COVID-19.

Starting back in December many students expressed that they were excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel with a COVID vaccine finally starting to be administered. However, because it will take time for the vaccine to roll out, guidelines are still being applied the same as before and this includes online classes and staying cooped up in dorm rooms or at home.

The fall semester caused many people to decide to stay home to cut costs but for students wanting the college experience, it's only been getting more and more difficult to meet people.

Part of the college experience is the people students socialize with. These connections last long after graduation. But is it possible to accomplish this when everyone is restricted to staring at a small screen in a Google meet or a Zoom call?

For incoming freshmen, this experience proved challenging, and many of these students are having trouble breaking the habit of turning off cameras and muting microphones.

But it’s not impossible. First-year Champlain College student Zachary Morris suggested that while difficult, there were opportunities to connect despite the digital distance. Morris said, “I’d say it was harder than normal in-person classes to make friends in online classes, but it wasn't impossible”,

While conditions are rough on many students, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and the vaccine will hopefully be widely available in Vermont in the next couple of months. The normal college experience will be returning very soon and making connections won't be limited to a laggy pixelated screen.

By Eric Burdick

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