University students fear rising cases could lead to teaching going online
More than a million students will be travelling across the country to go back to university after spending the Christmas holidays back home
As university students up and down the country head back to campus this week, there are fears the rising covid cases could lead to lectures being put back online.
More than a million students will be travelling across the country to go back to university after spending the Christmas holidays back home.
Universities are encouraging students to wear masks when in lecture theatres and labs and to take rapid lateral flow tests before coming onto campus to try and prevent the spread.
Students have been severely disrupted throughout the last two years as lectures were made virtual, with them hoping it won't be repeated.
Olivia Anderson from Ripon is in her second year at York St John University. She is studying biomedical science so regularly needs to attend practical assessments and labs.
She said:
"I didn't meet anybody and I didn't really make any friends and trying to make friends with people on Snapchat group chats is not the same but this year we're allowed to be on campus the learning aspect and the social aspect are so much better and it's a really big change.
"The first year of my uni was completely online. The content was so hard to learn because we didn't have the practical aspect to also learn from. You don't really focus as much so I don't feel like I learnt as well as a normal year would have been.
"Especially for practical courses, you really have to do your practicals to be able to do a good assignment. Last year when everything was online and we couldn't do certain practical and trying to write a lab report on a practical you haven't done was really difficult and I probably didn't do as well in it as I could have.
"If that happened this year in my second year when the grades that we get really start to count towards the final grade then it is really going to impact me a lot because you need the first hand teaching experience to be able to produce the best piece of work."
To ensure that students do not bring Covid-19 back to university, they are being reminded to take a free rapid Covid-19 lateral flow test ahead of going back to university, so they can have peace of mind and ensure they are not spreading the virus to friends, fellow students and teaching staff.
As well as testing before travelling home, students are encouraged to carry out additional actions to help stop the spread of Covid-19, including:
Arranging a free PCR test if you have symptoms
Opening windows regularly, to stop covid hanging around.
Wear a face covering when on public transport
Get your Covid-19 vaccine and booster jab when invited