All Things University: Starting University in the 'New Normal'

Firstly before I get into today's post, I want to say a big congratulations to everyone who's got into university, you should be so proud of yourself it's most certainly been a challenging year! And for those who haven't got the results you were hoping for, please don't be disheartened this year grades were very much out of your control which I know from experience can be even more infuriating. I hope that through the flexibility of universities across the country that you've found an alternative to what you originally applied for!

Starting university can be a daunting experience at the best of times let alone moving to a new area in the midst of a global pandemic. I've had messages and comments from a lot of you who've just been accepted into university, particularly Royal Holloway (yay!) to talk about how the next academic year will look in terms of online learning and socially distanced events.  I can only speak from my knowledge of what's going on at Royal Holloway, but I'm sure many other institutions will be adopting a similar policy

Flexible Learning: 2020/21 

Alongside changes to our social lives, we now face a new challenge. Coping with the balance of online vs. face to face learning. College IT providers have implemented the use of MS Teams to deliver virtual content to students from the comfort of their own home. 

Recent updates indicate that lectures will be provided online, in a format where students can take their time and rewatch the pre-recorded content at a time that is convenient to them. These lectures form part of the flipped learning initiative where students will take part in socially distanced seminars, labs and tutorials on campus. The combination of these learning techniques should create a safe environment for students to learn. The library should be resuming it’s in-person services, allowing students to use the well-loved study space again. 

Experiencing the full 'Student Experience':

Whilst there is still a large degree of uncertainty surrounding the activities that will take place throughout the academic year. Many societies have already confirmed some of the events that will be taking place, particularly those within the sports and fitness departments. 

The Student Union (SU) has now released the event list for Freshers’ Festival meaning that there’s now a host of government-approved events to help you interact with other students. For more information on specific events and dates, please visit the SU website at; https://www.su.rhul.ac.uk/freshers/2020/ 

There are many other activities you can do to make new friends and bond with your flatmates, the Surrey area surrounding the university has plenty of spaces for picnics and amazing areas to visit. In a future post, I'm going to talk about all the things you can do around the local area. 

This is a new world for all of us and I hope that this post has answered some questions to how the flexible learning will work across campus and now you can still make those life long friends that university provides you with. At the end of the day, the university experience is something to make the most of. The three of four years you're here will fly by, remember to say yes to every opportunity and find your why!