Unfortunately the world is in a very different place than it was back before the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, and just about every aspect of life has changed. For some this means that their work life is different, for many traveling has changed and when it comes to education, this certainly looks different to how it used to. For those of you who are planning to start uni or return to uni in 2022, there is going to be a new way of life waiting to meet you there. No matter if you are staying in a residential college or in halls, everything will be different, and here are some key changes to expect.
Online Class Time
Whilst there will still be some classes in which you will attend personally, there is no doubt that we are going to see the introduction of many more classes that are taken online. Not only this but we are also going to see a lot more tasks and study sessions that are delivered in this way. Ultimately this is the safest way to study in the eyes of the university, with regards to spreading the virus around the campus. The hope is that this doesn’t continue of course, but for the time being it is a sad reality of the times in which we are living.
Accommodation Changes
Another key change that we are going to see will take place in the student accommodation, where of course a lot of students will be spending their time, and mixing with one another. Student accommodation in Melbourne universities has already started with the implementation of rules around this, and are limiting how students can mix amongst each other. Additionally we have seen many universities looking to add better desks and study space in the rooms, to make life more comfortable for students who will be doing much more study there.
Reduced Group Events
Universities all around the country use community social events as a great way to bring the university and its students together. Unfortunately, these social events and hobby groups are likely to be heavily limited in order to minimize risk. Again the hope is that this is a short term plan, given just how important these activities are to the students and to the university.
Ramped Up Checks and Testing
And finally, as has become the norm for so many of us, we can expect to see an increase in the amount of vaccine checks and testing for Covid-19 coming up in the semesters ahead. This is how things look across the world and universities will be no different. It is still unclear what things will look like for students who do not wish to be vaccinated, this will be something that each university will likely deal with on their own, unless there is a particular course of action set out by the government.
This seems to be as close as we can get to normal for the time being, and hopefully it won’t be long before we can truly get back to the normal that we once took for granted.