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University campuses across the state with the return of in-person classes and activities after nearly a year and a half. (WTTW News)
It’s starting to look a bit more normal on college campuses across the state with the return of in-person classes and activities after nearly a year and a half of largely virtual learning.
Zoe Bridges, senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, explains how the campus has been different from last year.
“I think it’s been a world of difference. Last year it was like a ghost town here, ”said Bridges. “All of my classes are filled with real people, not Zoom. The streets are very busy on weekend evenings. That makes a total of 180 compared to last year.
Cesar Siete, a senior at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says some students feel comfortable resuming classes in person, while others lament the ease of zooming in to class from home.
“Recently, I’ve seen a lot of posts from students saying that some classes seem a bit crowded,” Siete said. “Some students don’t feel comfortable, and others regret the luxury of being home instead of traveling to campus.”
Tomorrow, the UIC will organize the last day in person of its Implication Fair where students can register for various organizations.
“The turnout was much better than in previous years,” said Siete. “It seems a lot more people are excited about the Engagement Fair than when I started. Everyone had fun from what I saw and there were bigger crowds for several organizations on campus.
Both universities have now started the fall semester 2021 in two weeks and some classes are still structured in a hybrid fashion.
“It’s a little hard to concentrate in class just because you’re used to being in your room during class,” said Bridges. “But overall it’s been really good for me. The Zoom classes were really tough for me as they were for a lot of other people. Being in class with a physics teacher, students right next to me learning next to me was really good.
Masks are applied indoors on both campuses, while COVID-19 saliva test is required for all individuals, except those who are fully vaccinated and have disclosed their vaccination status.
Note: This story will be updated with a video.
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