Going back to school is always exciting. After three months of summer break, the first week of September marks the beginning of the Fall semester at Rutgers University—Camden and other campuses across America. This year, I was more excited than ever to come back to school because my summer was not too fun due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Despite all the assignments, exams, and hectic college schedules, going back to school offers me the opportunity to escape the distressing reality we live in by focusing on my academic and career goals.
While this semester might look a little different than previous ones, I am happy to know that many things at Rutgers—Camden are still the same. Despite that most classes, activities and services are held in a virtual environment, Rutgers—Camden has provided the necessary accommodations to make them work as though they were in person. For example, although most classes are offered online, students can still interact with their peers and professors to recreate the learning environment that we had before. Many classes are synchronous, allowing students to ask questions and engage in real-time discussions as if they were in an actual classroom. In the case of asynchronous courses, professors have designed group assignments to help students interact with each other and foster that human connection that is so needed nowadays. Moreover, in both synchronous and asynchronous courses, professors have virtual office hours to allow students to interact with them and talk about any concerns they might have about homework or the class material.
Similarly to classes, club events and campus activities are still happening. Last week we had our traditional involvement fair where all active clubs and campus organizations were present to interact virtually with students and recruit new members. Student organizations are still having their regular meetings and activities as they had in previous semesters but acclimating them to a virtual setting that safely provides the same fun for everyone. For example, my fraternity (Alpha Chi Rho) is organizing our regular rush week online, creating fun events like video game tournaments and virtual trivia nights that allow us to continue our recruitment process without sacrificing out personal health. Besides student events, the university is also planning traditional on-campus events online. For instance, the annual Rutgers Read Program is starting with an online presentation by Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of “The 1619 Project” at the New York Times. We will also have our regular career and internship fairs with employers of the region in late November.
Lastly, all students’ offices and services are functioning either virtually or in person. Services like the library, the computer lab, and the bookstore are open to serving students in person with social distance and safety requirements. Moreover, academic advising, tutoring, counseling, and career services are available online.
This Fall semester might be one of the most challenging and difficult semesters I’ve had at Rutgers—Camden. However, I am sure that I will still enjoy the college experience and the communal environment that I had during the past three years. Things might look a little different this semester, but it is always reassuring to know that Rutgers—Camden is still the same despite everything.
Written by Cris P., a Rutgers—Camden Undergraduate Student and Raptor Ambassador.