CHLOE KOWALYK
News Editor
A year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic and we are finally beginning to see our lives shift to a new version of what we used to consider “normal.”
As vaccines roll out, more and more aspects of life are beginning to open back up, including education.
However, there is a significant issue regarding the return to in-person classes in college.
Universities across the United States have begun to recognize that they have two freshman classes on their hands, not one.
Both college freshmen and sophomores are facing in-person education and college for the first time, since both classes had finished their high school careers online.
The college sophomores also completed their first year of college online, which has created a stark difference for these students between their first and second years of college.
Barbara Ricotta, dean of students at University at Buffalo, says in an interview with UBNow that, “more than half of our sophomores have never been to campus — didn’t have a class in person, didn’t live on campus.”
This instance of two freshman classes is also incredibly evident on SUNY Fredonia’s campus as well.
As a second year student on campus myself, I have definitely felt as though I am a freshman all over again.
When first coming to SUNY Fredonia, I had almost all of my classes online.
It was like I had a preconceived notion of what college was supposed to be like, created entirely from movies and social media, and yet I was sitting in my dorm room all day on Zoom.
It didn’t really feel like college.
However, when my sophomore year began, there were certain aspects of independence and responsibility that I had been entirely unaware of.
Instead of scheduling Zoom meeting times, I found myself scheduling in-person meetings and juggling a schedule where I was everywhere except for my dorm room.
I felt like a first-year student on my first day of classes, trying to navigate buildings like Thompson Hall that felt like a maze.
The first time I walked into an in-person club meeting, I watched students gather around desks and make small talk for the first time since before the pandemic.
Still, as a sophomore, I find myself learning new ways to study for my in-person exams and learning to make new friends — all things I thought I’d learn as a freshman.
However, the displacement of my freshman year on Zoom and now in-person has led my sophomore year to start off more experimental.
It’s almost as if I have to learn the ropes I would have otherwise learned as a freshman last year but didn’t, as online classes for me were the exact same experience as high school Zoom classes.
Trying new things and learning the “do’s and don’ts” of college has been quite the learning experience for me.
I didn’t recognize that this was a shared experience among other sophomore students until I began talking with my fellow classmates.
One such friend and sophomore here at SUNY Fredonia, Hunter Halterman, is having a similar experience as me.
Halterman says a challenge he’s faced is in-person tests and exams.
“I got so used to online test taking that it’s been a bit of a transition,” he says.
He also explains that he prefers the in-person college experience, especially from an academic standpoint.
“I prefer being in person because it drives me to work a little harder,” Halterman says. “I have to actively pay attention to what’s going on.”
While sophomore students like Halterman and myself have been navigating our second years of college in-person for the first time, the freshman class is navigating both their first year of college as well as their first time being in person since high school.
This combination has led to a very different experience for first-year students this year than in years past.
Ashley Zielezinski is one such first-year student.
Zielezinski describes her college experience so far as eye-opening.
“There’s a lot about campus life that I wasn’t expecting, or just about being accountable for myself that I’ve had to get used to,” she says.
This is strikingly similar to the independence aspect of college mentioned previously.
Zielezinski further explains that she wasn’t expecting others to be so understanding of her situation.
“So far being a music student, my classmates are very supportive and kind towards everyone, even people they don’t know well,” she explains.
“My fellow classmates have definitely made the learning environment super comfortable, which is so amazing coming off of a year and a half of very difficult learning environments,” Zielezinski continues.
Overall, Zielezinksi has had a positive transition from high school to college, despite the challenges from the pandemic standing in her way.
“I’m loving the college experience,” she says. “It has been so great meeting new people in unexpected ways, living on my own and getting used to all these new responsibilities, going to events and joining clubs, and so much more!”
Students like Halterman, Zielezinski and myself benefit greatly from support from both our peers and SUNY Fredonia itself.
Small gestures, such as the Class of 2024’s idea to take a class photo this year after not being able to do so during our freshman year, have made a major difference on the recognition of student resilience and persistence throughout the pandemic.