Some USF St. Petersburg students are excited to return to in-person classes, while others are concerned about USF’s approach to safety.
Courtesy of USF
By Adriana Reeves
With the return of in-person instruction, many students are finding themselves in a positive state of mind with an eagerness to learn.
After over a year of virtual learning, some students, like junior mass communications major Samantha Skye, have the opportunity to explore the USF St. Petersburg campus for the first time.
“It is so nice to be around other people again. Working from home has been difficult as I am definitely a people person,” Skye said. “That being said, I assumed going back to school would be about furthering my education while meeting new people and networking. My first two semesters were solely online so I’m excited to be back on campus.”
Skye, along with a number of faculty and staff, have grown tired of the back and forth of online versus in-person instruction if a student in a class tests positive with COVID-19. However, she understands it is a necessary step in protecting her classmates.
“I think USF is doing the best they can within Florida law,” Skye said.
Autumn Reinhardt, a junior at USF St. Petersburg, said she is also excited to return to campus.
“I’m happy to be back in person. I feel like it hinders our learning being online. I am getting a lot more out of my classes now than I have in the past,” Reinhardt said.
Reinhardt said she believes USF is “doing the right thing” by allowing students to return to in-person instruction.
On the other hand, senior journalism student Stephane Mathurin has mixed emotions about their return to campus.
“I enjoy having my classes in person, I like feeling like I have something real to do during the day when it comes to school,” Mathurin said.
“Although I have also realized that the structure of in-person classes can quickly turn into rigidity… you are expected to be present, and things like in attendance and participation grades negatively impact commuter students and students with jobs and other responsibilities. I drive from Tampa to St. Petersburg so sometimes I feel like I am wasting my time when it comes to going to class because of the drive.”
Mathurin said they hope USF will better address issues related to students and faculty safety while on campus as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on.
“There are plenty of other issues across all three campuses that are going unaddressed, like housing cost/insecurity, safety, academic advising… the university is really ignoring all of this including COVID-19 and try to push the narrative of everything is alright, so they can secure their financial interests,” Mathurin said.
