With school terms cut short and exam periods over, Kent student Kelly Bellerson weighs up the pros and cons of a new socially distanced university life....

I should have been with my fellow classmates in the multimedia studios creating all sorts of digital content for my degree.

Instead, my second semester has seen me sitting on the sofa at home in my favourite PJs submitting assignments online and taking part in digital meetings and classes. This is not how I imagined my second year would end.

The new academic year is certainly going to look very different. Cambridge University has already announced it will be taking all its lectures online and other universities are mulling over how they will approach the new term.

For those looking to start a course in September, is there any point in paying £9,250 per year if your degree switches to online learning only? You would essentially be paying almost £10k for the academic equivalent of PowerPoint slides and Zoom calls.

Plus, if lectures are online-only, this could eradicate campus life. Freshers wouldn’t be able to improve their social skills and would find it hard to make new friends. Students’ mental health will be put at further risk — many already struggle with depression and anxiety. If they are confined to their dorms, they are in danger of succumbing to loneliness and suicidal thoughts.

As a university student, I am already doused in debt from my decision to take on a higher education course, and going into my third year at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) I can say it has been worth every penny for the rich experience I have so far enjoyed.

Freshers’ week, ice-breaker events, freshers’ fayre, sports clubs, societies, parties, work experience and making new friends are some of the most valuable parts of student life.

In my first year, I joined the swim team, became a radio presenter with my own show on CSR.FM and co-founded the Philosophy Society. These activities led directly to my coaching newcomers in my second year.

Many have argued that online learning could be the way to go as it’s safer and students are finding they feel more at ease learning in an environment that they are familiar with. But others feel that working from home has been too distracting.

As one student told me anonymously: “I have ADHD and I appreciate online lectures can be hard for lecturers as well, but I’m really struggling to focus as there isn’t much motivation.”

Some school students are considering The Open University. The OU are experts in distance learning and have even branded themselves as the ‘online uni’. For a full-time degree, each year costs £6,192 in comparison to £9,250.

A three-year course with The Open University would cost £18,576 for an honours degree of 360 credits. There is also the possibility of completing one year at the OU and then transferring to an on-campus university.

Universities are adamant they will not be changing their fees even if they do go online, so students could save £3,058 a year by going with The Open University.

Some universities, like CCCU, are offering a ‘blended’ approach, meaning that some lectures will be taught online and others in the classroom. This helps with social distancing but also gives students the chance to meet their coursemates and ask for any help they need in person.

Those studying practical courses, such as nursing, will need the physical facilities that universities offer in order to do practical work.

Lucy Loughran, due to start a degree in nursing in September, said: “As a nursing student you have to have practical sessions in the made-up wards in the school of medicine. Online learning wouldn’t cover that so I am missing out on key information for my course.”

The Office for Student (OFS), the university watchdog, has said that prospective students must be informed about how courses will be taught in order to make an informed choice.

Plotting a path for the future is always tricky. This year it’s more complex than ever.

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