Dear SU, what will student life after corona look like?

“Dear SU, 
Do you think student life will go back to normal completely after corona?"
- Industrial Design Engineering student, 20

We sure hope so! At the time of writing the current restrictions are quite lax; practice basic hygiene and maintain 1.5m distance where possible; perform a self-test when going somewhere crowded; but most notably not having to quarantine with sufficient vaccination or recent recovery, with the latter being the restriction allowing a relatively reasonable return to a more “normal” life. 

When viewing the two most recognized pillars of student life: study and social, through the lens of these relaxed restrictions, it seems as though a positive trend towards normalcy is appearing. 

Translating this trend to the study situation, it is clear that many lectures are once again taking place on campus. What is new, and will likely remain for a while is the possibility of taking part online. It could be so that this hybrid lecture style will remain for the next few years, and perhaps open the university up to more international students wanting to participate in a study from their home country. 

There is something to be said for online lectures in terms of the reduction of travel time, and comfort of watching a lecture in bed with a four-course brunch, but the question of quality remains an important one. Furthermore, the constant connection to online devices and ease of online meetings opens up your “free” time to any project group, team member, or teacher needing something from you. Former on-campus only lectures cut the wire between study and social, and provided more balance between each pillar. We wonder if a transition to hybridity will solder this wire and if student life after corona will fuse the two pillars?

Many students will say that there is a 50/50 balance between study and social life during their time at university. Due to the complete halt of social activities during the pandemic, we could see this balance being disrupted, with more time being spent catching up with social activities. Therefore, life after corona could possibly include a lot more nights out and skipped lectures, at least for the foreseeable future.

Spending time at home, for many with the same (annoying) housemates, has opened eyes to the importance of expanding your social circle. An increase in sign-ups for associations could be a result of wanting to spend more time out of the house. 

Dear writer, we believe that student life will return to a “new normal” after corona: classic uni intertwined with considerations for avoiding (future) health crises, as well as a newfound appreciation for being able to freely leave your home. Nevertheless, we hope this blog has provided you with a positive perspective on the return to “normal” student life.