College students prefer going in to class despite restrictions

Despite uncertainty of Covid-19 restrictions on colleges, three Westmeath students have expressed a preference for in-person learning, writes Sarah Slevin.

Some colleges returned to class this week, and others will follow in the weeks to come.

Conor Gibney from Milltown started first year at DCU studying PE and Biology in September, and he said his first semester was not affected by Covid-19 too much.

“Not too many of my classes were disrupted by Covid, but I suppose it may be different now,” Conor said.

“The only thing was that they were shorter, and we were split into smaller groups sometimes.”

Conor told the Westmeath Examiner that he preferred getting being on the campus and going to lectures physically.

“I’d rather in-person because I think you learn more but I understand if we have to go online,” Conor said.

First year podiatric medicine student Mairead Martin from Ballymore enjoyed getting to be on campus at NUI Galway and hopes the second semester will afford a similar experience as she returns this week.

“I thought it might go back online, but I’m glad it hasn’t. I’m not nervous about going in, I’d prefer to be in-person because you learn more and you get to meet people,” Mairead said.

Before Christmas, concerns were raised by many NUI Galway students about exams being in-person, but Mairead did not mind going in for her one exam and noted that Covid-19 was not the biggest disrupter.

“There was a storm warning at the time, and lots of exams were cancelled and rescheduled for the weekend, and if people couldn’t make that they have to wait now until around April time,” Mairead said.

Makayla Heavin from Mount Temple who worked in Cunningham’s Pub, Ballymore, for two years, gave a different perspective as she is in her second year of college in GMIT.

Makayla spoke to the Westmeath Examiner in April 2020 about her first year at college, and she shared how difficult online learning was.

However, the second year Business student got a much better experience this year, as she got to move to Galway and attend several classes.

“It has been so much better, you get to know people, you see your lecturers in person and meeting people in general,” Makayla said.

“It is good now getting to be up there and socialise with people and finally getting to put names to faces because we spent last year behind the screen and I hadn’t seen most my classmates,” Makayla added.

Mairead said she is still unsure of the format of this upcoming semester, as they are not back for another week, but added she hopes going forward, even post Covid, that there is a mixture of in-person and online.

“I think blended learning is the best thing to do – you still get to go in for the college experience and socialise but then you can also go back over online lectures at home,” Makayla said.