TULSA, Okla. — College students across the country are now back home trying to finish their spring semester.
Students at the University of Tulsa are taking classes online and off campus.
TU freshman Evan Meister was finally getting the hang of college life when the COVID-19 concerns began. Now, he’s back in his parents’ house while finishing out the year.
“It’s definitely different. College is a big change already and then when you go all the way back home, you’re just repeating what you’ve already done,” Meister said.
Meister thought learning remotely would be a challenge, but says it’s been easier than he thought.
“It’s definitely been a smooth transition. We all thought it would be a little bit hard, but it was pretty easy,” Meister said.
His finance professor, Anila Madhan Ph.D, is also adjusting her day-to-day work flow.
“I miss my students. I’m so surprised I miss them so much because a lot of teaching in a classroom is non-verbal communication. We’re able to read their eyes, a frown on their face and things like that or you know, that normal classroom banter that’s so funny and fun,” Professor Madhan said.
TU moved to online learning last week amid concerns over the pandemic. Universities across the country are trying to keep campuses from becoming a hot bed of infection.
“We are prepared for this to continue as long as it needs to," Professor Madhan said.
Despite the unexpected interruption in the semester, Professor Madhan says her class is continuing as normal with some minor adjustments to the syllabus.
“There are a few changes, for example, group projects have become individual projects, class presentations have become written reports and site visits like a real estate company we were supposed to visit and visiting some offices, all those have had to be cancelled," Professor Madhan said.
The professor old 2 Works for You she’s also been impressed with how her students are handling the changes.
“I have also gained a lot of respect, too, with how my students have shown patience. They have shown resilience. They don’t really have to turn up for the virtual classroom and they turn up like clockwork. So, I have learned that also the students have stepped up to the plate and that makes me very proud of them. Absolutely proud,” Professor Madhan said.
She hopes this challenge becomes a lesson for educators and universities.
“I think it’s an opportunity. it’s an opportunity to learn to do things differently and we might learn a few things we would like to carry into the classroom,” Professor Madhan said.
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