{"id":21012,"date":"2021-05-05T09:52:32","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T16:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=21012"},"modified":"2021-05-10T09:30:51","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T16:30:51","slug":"camosun-college-students-weigh-in-on-september-return-to-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2021\/05\/05\/camosun-college-students-weigh-in-on-september-return-to-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Camosun College students weigh in on September return to campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Editor\u2019s note: As this story was being edited, the provincial government announced their latest guidelines for post-secondary institutions in the fall; it\u2019s important to note that all interviews in this piece were conducted with students before those details were announced<\/a>.]<\/strong><\/p>\n

On March 8 of this year, provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said that post-secondary institutions should prepare for a full return to campus in September. That was almost two months ago, and BC\u2019s COVID numbers have been consistently bad since then. Also since she made that announcement, flights from Pakistan and India that would carry international students\u2014a large source of revenue for the college\u2014were grounded for 30 days on April 22.<\/p>\n

For the last month, I\u2019ve been busy dialling the numbers of Camosun students to get their thoughts on coming pack to campus. Some can\u2019t wait, others are unsure, and some want to come back but have a safety checklist they want to see addressed first.<\/p>\n

Whatever your thoughts are on coming back in September, the pandemic has certainly taught us that education is an essential service. And even though the vaccine rollout should ensure everyone who wants to be vaccinated is by September, some students are still nervous about returning to campus, as we all struggle to come to terms with the fear that has been instilled in us over the past year.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Camosun’s Interurban campus during COVID-19 (file photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First-year student Kunal Jain, who is getting a post-graduation diploma in Business Administration, laughs when I ask him if he\u2019s scared of the prospect of going to campus for class in the fall. Jain left India on April 9 to come to Canada for classes in September; thirteen days later, flights from India to Canada were suspended.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot miss college on the basis that we have COVID,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Jain wants classes to start now; he doesn\u2019t want to wait. But college means more than going to class for him. It means networking, and it means playing basketball or cricket with his buddies.\u00a0He feels that it\u2019s important to wear a mask, sanitize, and be cautious, but says that, as an international student, education is only part of coming to Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come here for [an] exposure of activities to enjoy with college life,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I\u2019m going to miss them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jain says the process\u00a0of travelling to Canada \u201cwent perfectly fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

“The system was good,” he says.<\/p>\n

First-year University Transfer student Zoe Engel loves learning online. It\u2019s not that Engel doesn\u2019t like being on campus\u2014she does, and says that, ideally, she would like sections to be blended, so that students have both online and in-person aspects to their courses in September. But she has inattentive ADHD, which makes trying to listen in a classroom really difficult.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI just find because I kind of do my online work whenever I want, you know, it\u2019s a lot easier for me to actually do the work when I can get myself to focus on it,\u201d she says. \u201cPost-secondary, it\u2019s not made for neurodivergent people.\u201d<\/p>\n

First-year post-graduation Business Administration diploma student Roshni Roshni says that while she\u2019s really excited to get back on campus, she doesn\u2019t feel it\u2019s safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Roshni, who is specializing in accounting in her diploma, was in India when we spoke. She needed to quarantine in Vancouver, and all self-isolation plans from international students need to be submitted to, and approved by, Camosun International. But, prior to the ban, she couldn\u2019t get a flight from India to Victoria, only India to Vancouver, and she says the college can\u2019t send her a letter of support unless she quarantines in Victoria. They will still approve the plan, she says, they just can\u2019t assist students with out-of-city quarantine accommodation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that the support letter is not mandatory right now for travelling,\u201d she says. \u201cBut Camosun has to approve my quarantine plan\u2026 I was worried if I don\u2019t take the college quarantine plan, then what would be the consequences at the airport?\u201d<\/p>\n

(Roshni spoke to Nexus<\/em> on March 16 and came to Canada on April 9, before the flight ban.)<\/p>\n

Jain says that the \u201castonishing\u201d financial barrier of quarantine is an additional expense that international students have to incur, but it was still surprising to him, given Canada\u2019s strong economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand they were discouraging the travel,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are other ways you can discourage travel. It seems a bit harsh for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Canada, violating any quarantine instructions can lead to a $750,000 fine and\/or up to six months in jail.<\/p>\n

Engel says the thought of going back in September is anxiety provoking, particularly because with the limited amount of people in her life that she does see now, she certainly won\u2019t be able to continue seeing them once classes are in session.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m nervous about it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about all I can really say on that. It\u2019s freaky, you know? It\u2019s really freaky; I didn\u2019t think that we would be going back so soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some people simply cannot learn online. When Nexus<\/em> reached out to students using the Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) app, Camosun student Evalyn Braybrook wrote, \u201cI\u2019m not a fan of online school tbh. not sure if it\u2019ll be safe but at least I can learn if we\u2019re in person\u201d.<\/p>\n

Engel says that a partial online or mixed format, with half the class going one day for in-person and the other half going the other, would be her ideal for September. Since moving online, her grades have \u201cnever been better,\u201d she says, and going back to campus all at once doesn\u2019t seem productive to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole, \u2018Okay, everyone\u2019s going back at once\u2019\u2026 just seems very counter-productive,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Engel says allowing students the option to stay online \u201cuntil we are more in the clear\u201d is a key thing the college could to do make the transition easier on students as well as staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially because there are probably students who are immunocompromised, as well,\u201d she says. \u201cExtremely unfair to send them into, you know, a cesspool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Third-year business student Ashley Reid says she\u2019s looking forward to going back, and any reservations she has are slim. Even with cases as high as they are, she would feel \u201cpretty okay\u201d with in-person learning, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, I learn better in person, so I\u2019m actually looking forward to it, because I can be back in the classroom, and that\u2019s where I learn better,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Reid says she is a little bit concerned about safety but she points out that she\u2019s not the only one who learns better in person.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor other people that learn better in person, because I know I\u2019m not the only one, it\u2019s better for us if we can get back to campus, so that part of it is making me look forward to it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Sophia Pius responded to Nexus<\/em> on the CCSS app that she was \u201cexcited and nervous at the same time! One has been away for so long hence it is overwhelming\u201d.<\/p>\n

Celina Fung Wachal said \u201cI like online and limited campus time\u201d.<\/p>\n

Reid points out that people need to follow college guidelines, whatever they may be at that time\u2014physical distancing, wearing masks\u2014when returning to campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as cohorts\u2026 I\u2019m not quite sure how it would work, just because everybody\u2019s in so many different classes and things,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

First-year Marketing student Sharda Mondal came to Canada to learn remotely because her living conditions at home made it difficult to learn. Now, she\u2019s in Victoria living with her boyfriend; she says she loves the city and can\u2019t wait to get back to campus. Throughout all the rocky times COVID has brought, that excitement never faultered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard the news, I was so excited, and I am still excited,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

But, excitement aside, Mondal says there is a feeling in the back of her mind, one that makes her wonder how things will work out. But she tries to not think about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly anxiety, but maybe a little bit cautious and nervous,\u201d she says. \u201cThere is some news right now that teenagers and young generations are also being infected. No matter what age you are, you have to be very, very careful, so I\u2019m just wondering what kind of precautions will the college and school be taking?\u201d<\/p>\n

Roshni says that having to do something for her studies that she doesn\u2019t feel is safe is causing her conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn one hand, I\u2019m excited to return to campus, but on the other hand,\u201d she says, \u201cI\u2019m very much afraid because two of my friends in British Columbia, they got COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both of her friends recovered within a couple of weeks, she says, but they are still feeling \u201cvery weak,\u201d which makes her worry about long-term symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter [recovering],\u201d she says, \u201cthat\u2019s what I\u2019m worried about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the precautions Mondal wants to see in addition to mask-wearing and physical distancing is daily temperature checks and the use of sanitization devices for those on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you enter,\u201d she says, \u201cmaybe have a system that will just spray on your whole body\u2026 when my dad worked back in India, they had that in their factory. Wherever he enters, top to bottom is just sprayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mondal says that there needs to be an online option so that students who aren\u2019t feeling well can still access the class beyond just getting notes from a friend, because some students would likely need to miss four or five classes if they need to isolate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d she says. \u201cAn option given to students so that they can choose to not go to the classroom if they\u2019re feeling something health-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for Mondal, that extends beyond just physical health.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust feeling anxiety,\u201d she says. \u201cJust not feeling good to go to the classroom, like a blended-mixture option available to the students.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Reid stresses that the decision about whether or not to attend class in person should be left to Camosun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know the school takes all the precautions that it needs to,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m not super worried about it. \u201c<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the world of COVID-19, things change faster than they ever have, and in the world of social media, that\u2019s saying something. Send a message from the Camosun caf and your cousin in Auckland, New Zealand can read it three seconds later. But we\u2019re not in New Zealand, a country that has all but completely eradicated the virus, and recently held the largest concert since the pandemic hit, with over 50,000 people in attendance at Aukland\u2019s Eden Park. (Over in Australia, 78,113 people recently attended a football game.)<\/p>\n

So, here on Vancouver Island, the question remains: if things need to change, how much notice is reasonable to give students before the start of the term, or\u2014God forbid\u2014in the middle of the term? It\u2019s not exactly easy\u2014or cheap\u2014for international students to get here right now.<\/p>\n

Reid says that, for her, only a couple of days notice to students is necessary before the college goes back in person, because everything is changing so quickly with the pandemic that by this point, people need to get used to sudden change.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as timeline of information, I think, depending on when they were going to send us back\u2026 I don\u2019t think I\u2019d have to know super far in advance,\u201d she says, \u201cjust because I know things are changing really fast. Like, a couple days\u2019 notice would be nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Mondal, who is also in Victoria, would want a little bit longer than that.<\/p>\n

\u201cA week or two,\u201d she says, \u201cso that we make sure we are well prepared to enter the college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Engel says that lots of notice, as the college has already done, is key.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if they had done it any later it would have been a bit more anxiety provoking,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Reid\u2014whose productivity and grades are both down since beginning remote work\u2014says that while she can learn from home and has done it before in secondary school, the most difficult part is having the lines blurred between work and home life, which makes it harder to relax when it\u2019s time to do so, and, sometimes, harder to work when it\u2019s time for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not as much distinction between \u2018This is when you should be focusing on learning\u2019 and \u2018This is when you should be focusing on relaxing and being with your family,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of blurred when you\u2019re at home all day doing the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Engel says that she has noticed a toll on her mental health, as well as her health in general, since beginning to think about returning to campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI miss my friends so much,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd my family, because I haven\u2019t been able to see them\u2026 I want to go back to school, and I want everything to get normal, but it\u2019s also terrifying now, because it\u2019s been so long.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Editor\u2019s note: As this story was being edited, the provincial government announced their latest guidelines for post-secondary institutions in the fall; it\u2019s important to note that all interviews in this piece were conducted with students before those details were announced.] On March 8 of this year, provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said that post-secondary institutions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21012"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21012\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21018,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21012\/revisions\/21018"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}