Nearly two years after the pandemic forced schools to shut down, students are learning to accept COVID as a part of their daily lives. The course of the pandemic has transitioned from learning the regulations to becoming accustomed to them.
LBCC student Ashley Lopez admits that being back on campus this semester, even with certain regulations still in effect, feels normal.
After speaking with multiple students, it seems that the most significant difference as to what feels “normal” is the change from learning online or learning on campus.
“It feels just regular, being in person now,” Lopez said.
Part of learning to live with COVID in our society consists of us becoming accustomed to social distancing, wearing masks and understanding we won’t return to our pre-pandemic lives.
Students feel that regardless of one’s vaccination status, there are precautions that should be taken to keep us safe, regardless of current pandemic protocols.
Jasmine Martinez, another LBCC student said, “LBCC has put great protrols like having to be cleared to go into any building and there is great organization.”
There are many positive outcomes with returning to in-person instruction. Students and staff say there has been an improvement in motivation in students with attending classes on campus.
The return to in-person instruction has benefited students as well by helping them focus in classes that tend to be harder when you’re in front of a screen at your house.
Another note is that government trust among students has been strained and weakened over the last year. Student Gustavo Rosas said, “I really don’t try to keep up with it honestly because they’ve been all over the place.”
While speaking with Rosas, he referred to the pre-pandemic life as normal. This endemic lifestyle may be in effect, but some student’s mindsets haven’t acclimated and aren’t considering this as the new norm yet.
Other students, however, have not only acclimated ,but have grown from the pandemic. Some have changed the way they see and navigate the world. Pre-pandemic, many people thought of risk in absolutes, but now it’s generally a gray area filled with probability and many other factors to consider.
On a larger scale, steps have begun where our state begins plans to move forward into seeing COVID as endemic and will allow us to learn how to live with the virus.