Dawson College students relieved they can attend classes in person.
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Melissa Saget and Ines Sakta had a lot on their mind before their first day back at Dawson College, Monday; but by mid-afternoon, the two second-year students in Law, Society and Justice were feeling relieved.
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“We were pretty anxious, because we didn’t know what to expect,” Saget said, “but it was easy. It wasn’t as stressful (as we feared). It was nice to be back at school, seeing people, talking.”
“And seeing my friends,” Sakta added.
It was Dawson and other CEGEPs’ first day of in-person classes after a year of mostly online learning due to the pandemic. For these and other students returning for their second year, it was a whole new experience.
“It was weird,” said Social Sciences student Alba Escalada. “It was my first time going to classes in real life, and it’s my second year; so I’m just walking around really confused about everything. I had to ask people where to go.”
There were more people around than she expected, but students and staff were all wearing masks in the building, so Escalada felt safe, if a little strange, “because everyone has a mask and everyone is trying to stay away from each other.”
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That said, she was already feeling the benefits of in-person classes: she found she could concentrate more easily on what teachers were saying.
“They’re actually there,” she said. “And I don’t have my dad in the background, or my pet, distracting me. It’s much better than online school.”
The best part? The social life.
“I feel like I can finally meet people,” Escalada said. “It feels like I’m actually going to school now.”
First-year Marketing and Management Technology students Justin Cheung and J.J. Vanderzon were chatting on the steps near a side entrance.
“It was alright,” Cheung said of his first day. “It was good to see faces, in person, rather than staring at a screen all day … like you’re a robot.”
Vanderzon’s girlfriend is starting her second year in Dawson’s Physiotherapy program, so he heard first-hand about her experience of all-online classes last year.
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“She didn’t get to meet (her fellow students),” he said. “Today I met a lot of new people and made some friends, so I think I’m pretty lucky to be in on the first day, compared to last year’s students.”
Kitenge Kayembe was satisfied with her first day of North-South Studies.
“It was good,” she said. “There was no social distancing — well, there was, but not that much if you’re talking about (public health) measures.”
She too counts herself lucky to be starting CEGEP now as opposed to 12 months ago.
“I talked with people who were online in CEGEP and they didn’t like it,” she said, “so I’m grateful that I didn’t have to go back online.”
Erik Leccese was beginning his second year in Electronics Engineering Technology. He was happy to be surrounded by fellow students again, even with fluctuating social distancing measures and all the personal protective gear.
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“The hallways were crowded with people,” he said. “Other than that, it’s good. I wish I could I could take off my mask and all that when I’m in class, but I’m following the rules.”
Leccese already feels he has better focus in class.
“It’s better, because there’s interaction with teachers so it’s easier to understand the material,” he said. “Online was a struggle for everyone.”
Ultimately, he noted, it was great just to be on the campus, soaking in the CEGEP environment.
“It’s different,” he said. “I finally get a change of scenery. I’m not stuck at home.”
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