TUCSON, Ariz.-- University of Arizona President Robert Robbins is asking students not to return to campus, when Spring break ends.
UArizona has already made plans to switch classes to online.
The university's decision follows that of schools like UCLA, Stanford, and Harvard.
while some students agree with the shift to online, they say it doesn't help the fact they're losing part of their college experience.
UArizona freshman Chloe Scott is one of them.
“College is basically shut down, like our freshman year is basically over,” Scott told KGUN9.
She says she never thought her first year at the University of Arizona would look quite like this.
“Moving online basically means nobody is really coming back. It’s just a very sudden end to the school year,” she added.
Not to mention her Spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas and her Summer trip to Europe are both off.
“Everyone is kinda becoming really isolated. A lot of people are just going to stay home,” Scott told KGUN9.
She says she would have never imagined the nearly 1,000 Coronado dorm would be so empty.
“Normally there’s multiple people at the front desk. In the mail room,” she said.
So a once lively and rowdy dorm has now turned into a quiet and lonely one. With each door sporting a sign that reads in part:
“Prevention is key. Prevent the spread of coronavirus. Wash your hands often, stay home, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and cover your mouth and nose…”
Scott agrees with these statements.
“Dorms are definitely breeding grounds for illness. One person gets sick you all get sick,” she added.
So she understands the school's decision to go online.
Though, while she says the independence of online classes can be nice for general education courses, she says the online method is not conducive for labs.
“I can imagine either going to have to be repeated, they’re going to be given automatic A’s or… I don’t see how...I mean you can’t mix chemicals online so,” Scott told KGUN9.
She says finding the motivation to study online can also be hard.
However Scott has all A’s and is using her goal of getting into the Eller College of Management as fuel to not slack off.
“So I think just going in with that, knowing that I need to do well this semester and knowing I need a 4.0 is motivating me,” she said with confidence.
She’s also hoping next year, will be one where quarantines, online classes, and COVID-19 concerns will be a thing of the past.
Scott says she will be only going on campus to pick up essentials at this time.
