AACC students said in December that despite the challenges of learning online, the fall semester went better than they anticipated. 

In an informal Campus Current poll, one of eight students said he is considering taking a gap semester in the spring.  

“I am really considering just going full time work until COVID pans out,” Eric Bradley, a second-year engineering transfer student, said. 

Others said they are eager to get back to campus for face-to-face classes but said they are adapting to remote learning. 

This semester “was a big adjustment,” fourth-year secondary education student Briana Barone explained.  And “it varies from student to student, depending on their level of comfort with online learning, … but personally I feel [it went] pretty well.” 

Student Government Association President Ryan Kim agreed. 

“I would definitely prefer in–person [classes], but I think it was a good semester,” Kim, a second-year environmental science student, said. 

Still, some students said this fall was more challenging than previous semesters. 

“It was more work than it normally really is,” first-year biology student Supriya Jones explained. “I felt like it was a little bit more challenging for me to actually learn.” 

Second-year transfer studies student Dacia Sain said it was difficult not meeting with faculty face-to-face this semester.  

“You’re not truly interacting like you would in a classroom and you’re not as focused as you would be in a class,” she explained. 

“You truly are 100% relying on yourself this semester. It’s really hard to stay motivated.” 

First-year political science student Mary Fatzinger agreed. 

“It’s definitely hard for me to feel motivated to turn something in if I don’t have to actually go to class,” she explained. “I [would] just start [the online assignment] at 11:30 and I’ll be done by 11:59 which is not good [because] you end up rushing [and] … not doing [it] as well” as you should.  

Most said they will not consider a gap semester. 

“I’m a person who loves school,” Jones explained. “I cannot take a gap semester.” 

Second-year computer science student Icram Doku agreed. 

“The pandemic is not going to have that much effect on how many classes I’ll be taking,” she said. 

Some students said they would like professors to communicate better with them. 

“If we’re going to be moving to an online based system, we need to have open communication [with faculty] and be able to talk about whatever issues were facing without fear of reprisal or miscommunication or not getting the feedback,” ninth-year communications student Taiwo Ajayi said. 

Still, Ajayi said he had a positive experience with faculty this semester. 

“They were very considerate,” he explained. “They work with me to help me be successful and I’m appreciative of that.”