As COVID-19 continues to impact lives around the world, academics everywhere are searching for answers to unprecedented times.
COVID-19 has robbed students around the world of some of the greatest times of their lives but a certain group of academics will miss more time than anyone else.
The quarter system is treated like a trimester during the school year, with a 10-week fall, winter and spring quarter. There is also a summer quarter available when students can take one class to get extra credits.
Tim Donald, who is an Economics major at the University of Oregon explained that the stay at home order came at a weird time as it was implemented during his winter quarter finals week. “I was exempt from 2 of my finals just because of the virus so that was nice but it meant that spring quarter was entirely online.” Donald reiterated that being home for an entire quarter would put him at a disadvantage because some resources from campus would be available for him.
Donald said it has been a hard transition for him. Donald said a difficult thing for him was that he is, “Not sure when [he] will be able to go back to Eugene to get [his] entire wardrobe.” “I also have been paying rent for basically no reason and my other 3 roommates are also at their family home so the house is unattended.”
Having an entire quarter online was not what Donald had in mind and, “It is just unfortunate that [he has] to take these classes online.”
Quarter system students lost 10-12 weeks of school opposed to semester student who are missing 6 weeks.
These students are also at a disadvantage because they are starting heir classes immediately online. They never got a chance to meet their respective teachers and get an idea of how the course will be.
Semester students were already in the groove of how their classes were going so the switch to online was not as dramatic.
“It helps a lot when I have friends around to help me through some classes and explain the material to me,” said Donald.
Kathy Escobedo is a political science advisor at UCLA who has been working from home for several weeks.
Escobedo said Zoom has become a way of life for her. “Zoom has been a great outlet for some human interaction and has been a useful way for me to get in touch with students and faculty.”
“It hasn’t been easy,” said Escobedo but, “We have been working diligently to ensure a smooth process for our Bruins for the rest of spring quarter and beyond.”
Rent payments have been a major issue for quarter system students along with canceled internships.
Jack Elliott, a business economics major at UCLA, had an internship with AlphaSights this summer in New York City.
AlphaSights is a company whose mission is to connect the world’s top professionals with the world’s best knowledge.
This internship is something Elliott was really looking forward to. “It was going to be a 12 week paid internship in New York and I had an apartment sub-leased already so I was ready to go,” said Elliott.
“I understand why it was canceled so I can’t be mad… Since it was canceled, AlphaSights did another interview process after the cancelation and told me I have a job with them after college,” said Elliott.
Another university that uses the quarter system is University of California Santa Barbara.
Trudy Padden is a junior psychology major who explained that she has been on campus for a total of 4 weeks her junior year. “I was studying abroad from the beginning of the school year until Christmas… I barely had any time to see my friends.”
When asked about her rent payments Padden said that it was by far her biggest issue right now.
“Isla Vista is not very cheap as you can imagine and seeing that money go to waste has been really hard on me and my family,” said Padden.
Padden said she had planned to quarantine in Isla Vista but that it was not realistic. Her family decided it was best to stay home.
Students in the quarter system have been impacted greatly by the coronavirus but they are not the only one suffering during this pandemic.
An article written by Beckie Supiano illustrates the impact Zoom has on the fatigue of certain individuals. She talked to a professor at UNC Wilmington who had an interesting view.
Kevin R. McClure, an associate professor of higher education at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, teaches hybrid classes. McClure explains a hardship for him is that he can’t rely on students’ body language or the feeling in the room to gauge their understanding. It’s hard to tell whose turn it is to talk, leading to a lot of awkward pauses. McClure thinks best when he’s literally on his feet. He misses being able to move around while he teaches.
Mike Peixoto is the undergrad coordinator for economics at the University of Oregon. Peixoto oversees hundreds of students and is challenged with keeping students afloat in unprecedented times.
Peixoto said the hardest part for him is not meeting his students in person at all. He explains that his job is done much better in person and when he can get a feel for how to accommodate each student.
Students and faculty at quarter system schools have been placed in a difficult predicament for the rest of the 2020 academic year.
“I am trying to be there for my students… I want to give them any feedback they need during this craziness,” said Escobedo.
A month and a half of the school year is still left and all personnel in the quarter system will proceed with online school and hopes of brighter days to come.
Zach Blaine 