In the last few months everything about our lives has either disappeared or gone online. Instead of going out to restaurants we order meals through apps. Instead of going to the grocery store we order groceries through apps. And instead of going into an office or school, many of us are working and going to school online. Online school has some implications for the long term, particularly when it comes to college. College is an important time to network and meet people who will be in your field throughout your lifetime, so what happens to college when everything moves online?
Online education presents more challenges than just making sure students are learning. Networking is a totally new thing when everything is done online, as students lack face-to-face interactions, social functions, and student organizations where they would traditionally meet their peers.
It’s important to help students understand they don’t have to eschew learning or networking just because college has gone virtual. Getting an education is still important because the job market is going to be challenging once they enter it, and right now there’s nothing better to do than get an education and gain skills that will be relevant to your future career since there’s truly nothing better to do.
Online networking is a little different, and starting by building your LinkedIn profile can really help. When students work together remotely on projects, adding each other on LinkedIn provides those first valuable work connections.
Of course, a lot of other things are going to be challenging with remote school as well. Universities are struggling financially and even though most classes are remote they don’t cost any less to do, so students can’t expect a discounted rate.
Because of pushback about the cost of college, some schools are making the difficult decision to bring students back in person. Liberty University was an early adopter of this practice, and students began to sue the school for failing to protect them from the pandemic.
There are no easy answers about the best way to do college during coronavirus, but every student will need to make the most of the situation. Learn more about college during coronavirus and the tech making it happen below.