The new normal
Whether it’s busy lecture halls or the nights out you’ll miss, your university experience will certainly seem different this year
THE university experience is going to be very different in 2020.
Cambridge University has gone online — for the entire year. Other universities are creating “bubbles” of students who will live and study together, while all are offering more virtual learning.
Yet students still want to go. Only 20 per cent of students are considering deferring their university start dates, despite the university experience being very different this year.
Part of the reason is that there are few alternatives, given current travel restrictions and the dire jobs market.
Also, university still has a lot to offer. While Freshers’ Week will be much more subdued, lectures will largely be online and students will have fewer options to mingle, a degree will generally transform your career prospects and boost your lifetime earnings.
DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION?
Even though universities will be opening their doors in a matter of weeks, there is still some uncertainty among applicants. Enrolment will largely be online — if you are moving into halls, you may be given a particular time slot to ensure social distancing and you will probably have to leave campus for a night out. However, what you might not know is what the university has put in place to ensure a safe learning environment. If you have not been given this information, check the uni website.
Universities are required to tell you how much of the course will be delivered online and/or face-to-face and if the balance between lectures, seminars and self-learning has changed, and whether placements are affected.
Tip: If you are not happy with the provision — for example, online-only learning — you can ask to be released by the university so that you can enter Clearing and enrol in a university with a different approach. However, remember, your student experience may only be different for the first term — for example, if a vaccine is ready this year — so keep an open mind. Also, some 97 per cent of universities will be offering some face-to-face learning, even if this is only one-to-one tutorials.
Tip: Ask how many hours of teaching you will receive each week. In the past, universities would talk about “contact hours”, with the average being around 14 hours per week. Make sure you will receive at least this much, even if this tuition is now online.
THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE HAS CHANGED
Large group learning will be online, with lectures and seminars streamed to students. For those with more practical degrees, science labs will have enforced social distancing and for subjects that require a placement — for example, nursing — students will still have on-the-job training, although placements may be delayed until the second year, with theoretical-only learning in year one.
Tip: If you have found learning from home easy during lockdown, onlineonly learning won’t be a problem. However, if you have struggled to keep on top of your studies and suffered as a result of isolation, a year of digital education might not work for you.
Once again, you can shop around. If you already have a place, ask the university where you hold a confirmed place to release you into Clearing.
A NEW WAY OF LIVING
This year, it is even more key to be in student halls — these will be one of the few places where you can get to know your fellow freshers. So, if you are applying through Clearing, ask if places are reserved for those coming to university via this route. Book your halls as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out.
Tip: When booking your halls, try to pick accommodation that suits your personality. Some universities offer quieter halls, for example. When you move into your accommodation, which will probably be a contactless process, you will form a new household or bubble with your flatmates. If one of you succumbs to coronavirus, you will all have to self-isolate together. So it helps if you get along.
Also, you will probably be spending more time with each other than most freshers. Avoid halls with a reputation for wild partying, unless that’s what you want. Remember, the cost of living might be lower this year, with less going out, so you may want to spend more on your accommodation.
...AND POSSIBLY A NEW START DATE
Some universities have pushed back their start dates by a few weeks. However, you may still be able to move into halls in early September and start your student experience on time. Keep a close eye on news from your university so you do not miss any key dates.