BY BILL BERGMAN
The differences between first-year college students and seniors were more pronounced than ever during the fall semester. I had a firsthand glimpse while teaching both a first-year seminar and upper-level marketing classes on campus.
While I could never really see the mask-covered faces of first-year students in my classes, their eyes sparkled with joy when discussing their newfound freedom living away from overly protective parents. Every day was a new discovery of places on campus to get a fancy coffee drink or to meet a possible new friend. They seemed to be enjoying every minute, even with all the COVID-19 restrictions.
Seniors were another story. They struggled to accept that their last year of college had been ruined by events out of their control. One student even commented that after a hard week of studying, she had to stay home on a Thursday night because pandemic fear prevented her from the usual “partying” with friends.
Regardless of whether they were in their first or final year, student test performance and class participation were noticeably better this semester. Class attendance was also setting records. Seniors occasionally came dressed in their pajamas to a Friday morning class. However, they were all in class and actively participating in discussions as they sipped caffeine drinks through straws underneath their masks.
COVID-19 restrictions severely limited extracurricular activities on campus like clubs, Greek organizations, and sporting events. Students, who typically take out their digital calendars to check their availability even for an exam, had fewer activities planned. This was the first semester that they had little to do but go to class and study. No wonder their academic performance improved.
The biggest fears many college students face are being stuck at home with their parents or, even worse, being bored. COVID-19 necessitated both. Desperate to get out of their homes after five long months of the pandemic, students went back to campus in the fall agreeing to a pact that they would follow safety protocols. They filled their college free time void of the usual social activities with something new: going to class, reading, and studying more than usual.
Prior to the pandemic, academic life was surrounded by abundant opportunities for personal experiences that helped students discover passions. There were hundreds of clubs to join, athletic teams at various competitive levels, Greek organizations, honor societies, dorm activities, academic competitions, volunteer programs, and so on. Balancing all these activities with challenging academics put enormous pressure on students who were often mentally and physically exhausted by the end of a fourteen-week semester.
The normally vibrant college campus was eerily quiet during the fall semester. Many of the crowded buildings where students and faculty previously congregated were silent. Students went to class and then returned to their dorm rooms or apartments. The huge administrative organization that supported all the student activities was at a standstill with staff mostly working from home.
College reverted to what it was like decades ago. The on-campus experience this semester no longer resembled an expensive resort community with unlimited activities, great places to eat, and exquisite workout facilities. The college experience was back to being what it was like in the 1970s: simply hanging out with friends, going to class, learning, and taking tests. The fall 2020 semester was a unique moment in time that was disappointing for college seniors but cool for first-year students.
It is difficult to predict what will be the lasting effects of this past semester on the future of higher education. My first-year seminar students proved that college can still be a wonderful experience without all the extracurricular activities that are usually so dominant. They are enjoying something new called downtime, which gives them a chance to focus more on their studies and smaller groups of friends.
It is unimaginable that higher education could eliminate all activities outside of the classroom. Too much infrastructure has been created to support extracurricular programs. However, maybe it’s time to de-emphasize them a bit so that students are able to focus more on their academic performance, which, at least in my classes this semester, seemed to improve when there were fewer distractions.
Guest blogger Bill Bergman is an instructor of marketing in the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond.
