Returning to Campus Survey

Next year my institution will be essentially online only as far as instruction goes. However, students will be given the option to return to campus if they want to and would attend class virtually from their dorm rooms (instead of doing so from their bedrooms at home). Those who do return to campus will be subject to a significant number of restrictions - 14-day quarantine on arrival, mandatory masks, no visitors, no campus gatherings, no travel outside the state during the semester, etc.

1. Given the above, would you return to campus or just stay home and take classes from there?

2. If taking a gap year was an option, would you skip the choice in #1 and just take the year off?

I have no idea what to expect in terms of what our students will decide. They are a hard charging “I want to be at the top of my field as soon as possible” lot, so I’m guessing we’ll get fewer gap year requests than one might expect. And while I was as anxious as the next guy to get out of my parents’ house and onto a college campus, it somewhat loses its luster when you’re effectively on lockdown. If I’m going to be stuck inside not doing much of anything, I think I’d just as soon have done it from my parents’ spacious home than from a prison cell-sized dorm room.

I’m betting we end up with a lot of “not taking the year off but not coming to campus” people. But again, really no idea what to expect.

consider CC if freshman

As Raoul said, for sophomores on up, most have leases or some other housing commitment. We are sending ours away in that situation, with plans to quarantine him on return if it seems needed. He'll be interacting with other kids his age there, even if a good part of campus will likely feel weird. For what it is worth, it is why the new controversial Cornell study says bringing students on campus is better than not, because. they figure most will come to Ithaca even if class is online, and better to have more control over what they do (not saying I buy all of it).

If I had a soon to be freshman, I'd seriously consider taking some online CC classes, and applying again next year if I couldn't get a formal gap year. This is biased some by good in state options that can't really dismiss you for CCs. I also think all but the most elite privates will be desperate for full pay students next year. As noted this breaks down if you are either rich enough that tuition doesn't matter or poor enough that you aren't paying. I just think the freshman experience will be particularly negatively effected.

I’d transfer

Sounds like a place that’s not even trying.

D18 starts college in the fall.

As a family we thought long and hard about a gap year. Her school is opening dorm rooms and each freshman will have a roommate. However, no campus group activities. There will be daily temp checks, quarantine plans for outbreaks, etc. At any moment, they could shift gears and say that everything will be online. Just doesn't sound like a college year that's very much fun-- no concerts, basketball games, concerts, movies, etc.

In the end, she decided she was ready to leave home and start college life. She could continue to work at the bakery and take some online classes, but with all of her friends off to school, how much fun would life at home be with mom and dad?

I think I would stay home

It depends on everyone's situation, of course (I had young siblings running around my parents' house while I was in college and perhaps couldn't have done that), but I can't see the logic of paying to live isolated in a dorm room, with no personal interaction with other students or faculty, under most circumstances.

As for a gap year, it would probably depend on the discipline. If it were me, I might have done it, especially if I could have used the time to do research somewhere fun that could have rolled into a project when I got back. But if you were doing something in, say, a mathematical field, I would be afraid of getting rusty with a year off.

Need for social interaction and financial status

What we've seen with college student of friends of ours...

I'd return to school if possible, affordable, and able to get hone relatively easily if needed.
1. Actually get a single dorm room if possible and live on campus - more likely to get refund if going virtual again vs. being locked into a lease off-campus

2. I'd actually consider off campus for returning students if they have friends and can be together - being home can be socially isolating and really miss out of the personal growth you get being away for college. Sure, it won't be normal, but they'll still find ways to interact

A true "Gap year" probably isn't the best option in my mind. Keep moving forward because you'll be closer to being ready to get that career/job going when things pick back up - and they will. Plus gap years are planned, so the likelihood of a meaningful gap experience is probably low right now.

Also, depending on school you may need to reapply / apply as transfer just to get back in.

On #2, it would depend on what options I had for the gap yr

If I could make a decent amount of money and/or do something to build my resume, then I think I'd definitely go for option 2. Otherwise, I'd continue with school. I think home or campus is going to be very person specific depending on their circumstances.

Lots of off campus folks have signed leases

In some cases the leases are already in month #2 (depending on the college town/area).

As for the gap year, jobs are not plentiful. If not lined up, you have an issue. So you need to be really wealthy or really poor (the one I know doing it is poor and lucky to have a job with OT).

Take classes from home, unless live off campus was an option *