SU Adjusts to an In-Person Semester

By Zach Richter

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – It is now already a month into the school year and students are still adjusting to the return to in-person classes. Some of these students haven’t ever attended a class as large as 500 people and others have not attended an in-person class since winter 2020.  This return to an in-person format is another reason that students are more overwhelmed than usual to start this semester compared to previous years, most. In-person classes, classwork, and tests have all returned for the first time since the pandemic began. Sophomore Abby Baughan is still trying to get used to taking in-person exams.

“I think the difference is classes is that their definitely harder this year. I had my first in-person exam today in one of my classes. It’s just different getting back in the field, taking a test in a classroom with other people.”

Syracuse University Student Melissa Pauly is happy to be back in person. She feels like she actually retains the information when in the classroom compared to being online.

“It’s a much better learning environment this year. I feel like I’m actually being engaged and learning stuff. Last year, I feel like I was just taking in information and not processing what I was learning.”

Syracuse University Professor Robert Van Glick enjoys the change as he says it was difficult to engage his students in the material in the online format. He says, “it was like talking to a camera.”

Students do not need to worry because regardless of the COVID level, the university has said that the in-person format will remain throughout the year.