{"id":4029,"date":"2020-12-03T02:15:40","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T02:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/03\/in-educations-new-normal-college-campuses-undergo-a-virtual-makeover\/"},"modified":"2020-12-03T02:15:40","modified_gmt":"2020-12-03T02:15:40","slug":"in-educations-new-normal-college-campuses-undergo-a-virtual-makeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/03\/in-educations-new-normal-college-campuses-undergo-a-virtual-makeover\/","title":{"rendered":"In education’s ‘new normal’, college campuses undergo a virtual makeover"},"content":{"rendered":"

In education’s ‘new normal’, college campuses undergo a virtual makeover<\/a><\/p>\n

Written by \t\t\t\t\tShambhavi Dutta<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t | New Delhi |
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 2, 2020 10:50:42 am\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\"schoolStudents agree that the pandemic has affected all aspects of college life, which they say is not only about classes.
\n(Express Photo by Praveen Khanna\/Representational)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When 22-year-old Pragya Negi received her official college ID card via post soon after enrolling at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Panchkula, she knew her college experience was going to be far from conventional.<\/p>\n

But Negi is not alone. Thousands of students across the country, who are starting college amid the coronavirus<\/a> pandemic<\/a>, are now forced to grapple with a strange new reality. The three-day orientation programme, which usually takes place in the college auditorium, has now been relegated to a Zoom call; classes have become an entirely virtual affair with teachers sharing their screen to explain concepts, and new friendships are forged over video chat.<\/p>\n

However, it is not just classroom dynamics that have drastically changed, the much-awaited freshers\u2019 parties, too, have undergone a virtual makeover.<\/p>\n

READ | Being young in times of lockdown: Online classes, virtual dates and more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe experience is fun but it can get monotonous. Yes, it is not what I had expected college life to be, but I am confident of making the most out of the situation,\u201d says Shirin M Vetticad (18), who is pursuing a bachelor\u2019s degree in Economics from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University.<\/p>\n

Shirin M Vetticad, a student at Jesus and Mary College is currently auditioning for societies through video messages and online forms<\/span><\/p>\n

Negi is also trying to make the best of a bad situation. She is thankful to her teachers for not making those two-hour-long classes boring. \u201cOur teachers make an effort to help us through the virtual glitches by providing us with recordings but it would certainly have been great when we would all be in a class sharing our anecdotes and views.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ananya Jain, a 19-year-old Delhi University student, agrees. \u201cThe classes are going on well, but I do miss attending one physically as one-on-one interactions (with teachers and fellow students) would have been so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ | Virtually yours: Looking for the perfect quarantine date<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOnline classes are less interactive, and there is an additional burden when we face network issues or technical glitches. It is so important to know and understand the people you will be interacting or living with for the next 3-4 years, but here we are sitting at our homes,\u201d says Arpit Taneja (19), an undergraduate student at Thapar University, Patiala.<\/p>\n

Students agree that the pandemic has affected all aspects of college life, which they say is not only about classes, but also about group assignments, conversations with college mates, being part of art and culture societies, hanging out with new friends and above all, a sense of freedom.<\/p>\n

22-year-old Pragya is trying to make the most of her online classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

But with students realising that this is the \u2018new normal\u2019, they have started devising their own ways to adapt to the situation in the hope that normalcy will return and college life will be back to what they wish it to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always wanted to audition and be a part of the college\u2019s dance society to hone my skills. Who knew I would be doing that on video calls \u2014 filling forms, recording the moves \u2014 from my living room,\u201d says Vetticad.<\/p>\n