Mahlia Neely knows that she is a “sit-in-the-front-of-the-class” kind of person. She loves participating in class discussions, and chose to attend Vassar College because of its small class sizes and the resulting sense of intimate community. In transitioning to remote learning, she saw the sense of community decrease. Lively in-class discussions were replaced by carefully typed discussion posts, and she often felt disconnected from her classmates and the material itself. She knew that the precautions adopted by her institution were in an effort to ensure her safety, but she still yearned to get back into the classroom. In mid-August, she returned to the New York campus to begin her sophomore year, and is engaged in a hybrid class format.
“I came home midway through the second semester of my freshman year. Since my school is small (less than 3,000 students), the administration decided to open the campus to students, while still allowing those who couldn’t return or didn’t feel comfortable returning to study from home via Zoom,” said 19-year-old Neely.
“Initially, I was nervous about returning to campus. There were so many unanswered questions: would administration enforce the rules? Would students follow the rules? What if there’s a sudden rise in cases on campus and we’re sent back home? However, as time went on, I became a lot more at ease. Students and administration have been working together to keep the number of cases low. At first, it was strange navigating the new campus environment, but, now, I have adjusted to the new normal.”
Most of Neely’s classes are fully in-person, either in a classroom or under a tent, outdoors. She has one class that meets in-person once a week and on Zoom once a week.
This semester, she will have to leave campus earlier than usual – right after Thanksgiving break. She and other students will all return home and continue the final weeks of the semester virtually.
The new protocols she had to adhere to include not being allowed to leave the campus and submitting to COVID testing every two weeks. She also had to fill out a symptom survey daily, and always wear a mask when outside of her room, unless outdoors and six feet away from others.
“Although the restrictions can be frustrating, I think it is very important to follow the protocols to keep everyone safe,” said Neely, a 2019 All-Bahamas Merit Scholarship (ABMS) recipient, an honor she shares with Dehron Smith.
Neely and Smith were the 24th scholars to receive the ABMS since the introduction of the award in 1993.
The naming of Neely and Smith as co-ABMS recipients was historic as it was the first time in 25 years of the scholarship being offered that two people received the prestigious award in one year. Smith also received the award two years after graduating high school.
“Most students have been doing this so far, and that has helped our case numbers on campus to stay very low, sometimes even remaining at zero cases for weeks.
“Following the rules has also allowed us to move through different phases with reduced restrictions. For instance, a few weeks ago, administration allowed students to form ‘pods’, which is basically a family group. It’s a set group of four or five persons with whom you are to gather, without adhering to social distancing and masking rules. If one person in the pod tests positive for COVID, however, everyone in the pod must be placed in quarantine. The permission to socialize with others in this way has really helped students cope with this isolating time, and it was only possible because we had been following the rules well enough for restrictions to be slightly lifted.”
The new protocols, she said, have made for a campus environment this semester that is very different.
“It feels like a general hush has fallen over the campus which, last semester, was full of hustle and bustle. However, on any given day in September, when it was warmer, you would see so many students gathered outside on the grass, in socially-distanced circles, to eat dinner with friends. While it is definitely sad to think about how drastically things have changed, we are making the best of what we have, and I am grateful for that.”
The hardest part of being on campus during COVID, for her, is being limited in gathering with others in-person.
“I miss sitting in the dining hall during rush hour, adventuring off-campus with friends and rushing to classes, club meetings and events. This semester, I’m cherishing any opportunity I have, within protocol, to be with others. Even when masked and socially distanced, being able to be with friends and classmates is a privilege I do not take for granted.”
In order to travel and enter the Vassar campus, Neely was tested for COVID on New Providence, and had to upload the negative result to a Vassar website. She also had to fill out a New York State traveler health form, and got a response saying she did not have to quarantine once she arrived in New York. When she arrived at JFK Airport, she said she only had to show proof that she had completed the New York health form.
“Since I arrived on campus late Friday night, I had to schedule my on-campus test for the following day, and I received a negative result a few days later. I did not have to do any strict quarantine, but everyone was advised to limit their contact with others until they received their on-campus test results.”
Neely who came home midway through the second semester of her freshman year which she completed online, earned three A grades and one A-minus grade.
“Overall, I was happy with my grades, especially considering the unexpected jump from traditional learning on campus to remote learning during a pandemic. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get all A’s, but I am aiming to meet that goal this semester,” she said.
As she continues her college education in the “new normal”, her advice to her peers is that when everything feels like it’s too much, to take things day by day.
“I have a whiteboard hung up in my dorm room, and I have had the same phrase written on it since I returned to campus: ‘take things day by day’. School in general can be stressful. With the addition of COVID-related restrictions, anxiety and changes in school format, managing schoolwork is even more overwhelming. When everything feels like it’s too much, take things day by day. Do the schoolwork you have to get done today; focus on getting through today. Then, when you’ve completed that, you can start thinking about what you have to do for tomorrow. Try to find a happy medium between holding yourself accountable and being gentle and compassionate with yourself.”
She said people should remember that today’s world is new for everyone.
The ABMS is valued at $35,000 per annum for up to five years depending on the degree pursued, and is valued between $140,000 over four years; or $175,000 over five years, dependent on the degree program, and tenable at accredited universities locally or abroad.
The post Mahlia Neely returns to Vassar College appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/mahlia-neely-returns-to-vassar-college/
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