College is hard right now…
As an academic advisor at a large, public institution, the changes in the world have kept me on my toes for the past year. I haven’t been to the office since March 13, 2020. I haven’t seen any of my students in person during that time. Teaching a class through Zoom has been challenging. I have always felt that I was an empathetic person, it’s why I chose this profession in the first place. However, last week gave me a whole new perspective on what our students are experiencing right now.
I attended the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students annual conference. I love learning, professional development and keeping on top of the latest trends relevant to my students. What I didn’t realize was how exhausted I was going to be after attending “classes” (really lectures) for three days straight. I can honestly say that even though I made it through 11 years of post-secondary education, I don’t know that I could be successful in the environment our students are now facing. It is draining beyond belief, whether you are on camera or not. Paying attention is difficult when you are sitting in your comfortable house with pets, roommates, babies, whatever.
So, a short way of saying, give our students a break. They are exhausted. They are overwhelmed. They are putting in hours upon hours of work just to make it through. On top of that, most of the students I have talked to have had the virus or had a close friend or family member that experienced it. It’s a lot to take on and our campuses should continue to do anything they can to go above and beyond in supporting them.