By Nathan Cortes Rojas
As the year comes to an end, many university students look forward to the idea of relaxing at home as their academic worries and deadlines fade into distant memory.
Sadly, for most college students, this might not be the case.
The end of their year means that they now face a difficult decision that could affect their entire lives: whether they go to university, whether they defer, or whether they enter the workforce or take a gap year.
Due to the pandemic, many students have put gap year plans on hold. “In April 2020, Prospects conducted research gauging the effects of the ongoing pandemic on students and graduates residing in the UK and found that just over a third of respondents aged 18-24 had put their gap year/travel plans on hold,” the Prospects website said.
Serious commitment
Attending university is a serious commitment and can be a daunting choice, but it also has many benefits. The decision to defer is no less serious, as students are left to think about their lives and question if they want to pursue a higher education.
Add the pandemic to the mix, with online instead of in-person learning, and the decision is made even harder.
“I just don’t think new students shouldn’t expect much from applying during a pandemic. Freshers will be different, classroom atmosphere will be different and in general, everything will be different,” said Kit Wells, a 2nd year student at London Metropolitan University.
But University of Central Lancashire Vice-Chancellor wrote in the Times Higher Education website that deferring might be a bad idea.
“Understandably, some students are concerned that they will have to pay full tuition fees for an online-only education if they begin their course in the 2020-21 academic year.
“Universities have received mixed feedback on the remote learning services that they have delivered under lockdown but let’s not forget that many were forced to shift all of their operations online in a matter of weeks. Since then, universities across the UK have continued to invest significant resources to enhance their digital capabilities, offering more flexibility and, in a number of cases, enhancing the provision of teaching and learning.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s not been perfect, but the progress made to develop an online curriculum in such a short period of time has been a great achievement and there will be many more innovations in this area to come.”
“COVID won’t stop me”
There are still students who are interested in applying this year, despite any setbacks the pandemic may bring to their experience at university.
One of these is Mali Bey, a student at Croydon College. “I’m still planning on going to university, I mean, I don’t think COVID is going to stop me…”
As we continue to ease out of lockdown and the vaccine continues to be taken, there is hope that this pandemic will end and these young people will be allowed to receive the full university experience they deserve.
And even if it doesn’t, they seem determined to make an experience out of what they can.
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