For College Students, Individual Responsibility is Key
Lessons of navigating COVID-19 on a college campus.
It’s a difficult time to be a college student learning on campus. There is a looming sense that the return to college is temporary, and each additional week that students stay on campus is an apparent victory. My university is one of the few institutions in our area to continue in-person classes. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, two schools that are relatively close in proximity to our small town of Buies Creek, moved to online classes almost immediately after beginning the semester.
In spite of the overarching thought of online classes, however, students are eager to be back on campus. My fellow students are, for the most part, obeying university guidelines. There is a shared sense of responsibility to wear masks, follow social distancing policies, and stay on campus for as long as possible.
It may sound hyperbolic, but undergoing such a unifying experience is unique to my generation. For most of our lives, my peers and I have been taught that education is an individualistic endeavor. Work hard so that you can get into college. Do well so that you can receive a scholarship. Participate in classes, gain leadership experience, and establish connections so that you…
