We are finally all back in our long-awaited face-to-face courses. But it’s not as comfortable as we may all remember. Here are the 10 worst things about returning to the classroom.
- Paper quiz
Quizzes and tests on paper just aren’t. It’s so much easier to focus when you’re not in a room full of people shuffling their bags and papers. We don’t know if it was just because we forgot how to use a pencil during the COVID-19 pandemic, or if we were freaked out by a number of students passing paper around. Anyway, we miss canvas quizzes.
- People who sneeze and cough next to you
That is downright terrifying. Forget to pay attention to the lecture or class discussion, we’re trying to think about when is the best time for our next COVID-19 test.
- Be the person who coughs in class and tries not to cough
Strep goes around, and so is the cold. Dust in our masks is also a common culprit of the person coughing in class. We’re desperate to somehow telepathically communicate with the people around us to tell them, “I’m so sorry, I don’t have COVID-19, but I just choked on my own spit.”
- Inconsistencies in the classroom
Everyone knows that having a class in the Nationality Rooms of the Cathedral of Learning is the worst. The desks are too small to fit even half a sheet of paper, the heaters make unpleasant noises, the rooms are noisy, making group work almost impossible, and everything is unbearably hot, regardless of the weather outside. On the contrary, classes at Benedum Hall require a winter jacket and possibly mittens.
- Icebreaker, but personal
Icebreakers over Zoom were bad enough, but now we have to try to memorize people’s names without being able to see the lower half of their faces. And we don’t have a little name at the bottom of the zoom window to help us either.
- Have to go to class
Do you remember the days when we didn’t even have to get out of bed to go to class? Now we have to walk places through the rain and heat. But going to class brings a completely different aspect to class. We then have to come to class and sit down and pretend we’re not drenched in sweat or completely out of breath – or both. And that’s just plain embarrassing.
- Swipe your card to enter buildings
Before the pandemic, that wasn’t a thing. It’s annoying to have to log into the Cathedral of Learning with your ID in a rush when people don’t go over to have you removed. Sometimes we accidentally swipe our debit cards instead of our Panther cards. We all just want to go to the buildings and to class.
- Belly growls in the quiet classroom
Can you hear which direction it’s coming from? Do you know that we can only think of lunch or dinner? Drinking water doesn’t help. Trying to think about the class won’t help, our stomach will still give away our hunger and remind us to count down the minutes until we can go to get some food.
- To be hungry and unable to eat
Eating indoors can be freaky. Eating in class isn’t really an option with the mask mandate. Eating outdoors is not always possible due to the inconsistent weather in Pittsburgh. Then the choice must be made – stay inside and stay hungry or brave the rain and hope you can find a spot under the tent at Schenley Plaza.
- Wrong wearing of the mask
That’s the worst. No need to pull down your mask to ask someone a question or to speak to someone. In fact, that’s the opposite of what you should be doing. Please wear your masks correctly. Always keep your nose and mouth covered.
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