By: Johnathan Limbaugh
Montevallo – Ala. UM Student Riley Hickman Speaks about her issues with exclusively in person classes and how she thinks the university has handled the transition.
Was transitioning back to fully in person classes a good idea? Riley Hickman, a student triple majoring in Marketing, Management and Theater, believes the University of Montevallo made the transition a bit too soon.
“I think that they kind of jumped the gun a little going to exclusively online classes,” Hickman said.
Hickman says she has struggled to readjust to the change and that she would prefer to still be online classes.
“Being able to have everything online asynchronously was wonderful and I could just work at my own pace.”
According to Hickman, University policies are less strict than they were last year. Masks were required in a buildings and anyone caught without them could be reprimanded. Hickman preferred this and believes it would have been better to maintain this particular policy.
“I wish they would have required a negative COVID test before students came back this semester. they did it last year which is why we had so few COVID cases.”
The University held no in person events last year which Hickman believes had a significant impact on University Life.
“So there’s a running joke that this year is actually the sophomores’ freshman year since the college was basically dead.”
Hickman disagrees with the transition to exclusively in person learning. There are still people contracting COVID who will not be able to attend class while isolating. While Hickman believes professors are being accommodating, she says she is able to relate to those having to quarantine, since she contracted COVID over the summer.
“I feel like the University has forgotten that people are still getting COVID and can’t come to class,” She said.
Hickman believes the university is doing well Disseminating information as they receive it. She shared some personal advice for students struggling to adjust to in-person learning: “Be honest and open with your professors. I’ve been to two colleges and the professors at Montevallo genuinely want to hep you.”
For more information about Montevallo’s COVID policies, visit the Montevallo Website.
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