Impact of COVID on education in the US:
By: Lorien Finance
Tags: Study Abroad, Gmat, Ielts, Toefl, Gre

The CoronaVirus pandemic has affected everything from day to day life of people to economies. Nothing is normal anymore. Education is also not untouched by it. Schools, Universities had to change their way of teaching, and about 90 per cent of them closed down early.

The economic impact of international students is very high, as they pay relatively higher tuition fees. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, student enrollment was reduced which resulted in a fall in the economy. Below is the impact of COVID on education in the US:

Online Learning

With the shutting down of schools and universities, over 1.2 billion students are out of classrooms and attending online classes. E-learning has increased dramatically. E-learning takes less time, it is easier and can be done from home.

Even before the corona outbreak, a lot of institutions were adopting the online way of learning. This is also becoming a reason for passive learning. Students are becoming passive learners, they are losing interest in studies and not giving much attention to their studies. Online learning is a great way for students to learn at their own pace but with the risk of passive learning. Online learning has also increased the use of technology, and it also helps in retaining important information. Students get better learning experiences but one on one interaction might not be possible.

You can take up online education for the first six months, it will not affect your education, also it will save you money and you being an international student are going to need a lot of it.

More Competition for Admission:

Since for the last one and a half years students have not been able to travel abroad for higher studies, universities will be flooded with admission applications. This will result in more competition not only among the students but also among the universities. The number of Indian students applying abroad is going to double.

Institutions are doing everything they can to make things easier for students, they’re providing more facilities like airport pickup, quarantine facilities, discounts on flight tickets, etc. Countries are opening up now and universities are receiving more applications.

Work-Learn Culture:

The USA has a Work-Learn culture, where almost 70% of students work while studying. But due to the Corona pandemic, it might get difficult to find a part-time job. Even if you get a job, it will be very underpaid. You might not be able to get a job for at least one year. Being an International student, the work-learn culture is new for you, but it develops many life skills.

Modified Grading System:

Leading Universities in America have modified the grading policies to ensure that the students do not lose out. Instead of the usual grading system from As to Fs, universities now use ‘Emergency Satisfactory’ and ‘Emergency Unsatisfactory’. Universities are also allowing students to keep their pre-pandemic grades, and also allowing students to opt-out of their courses until they feel adept at completing them. Although, students are allowed and encouraged to improve their grades.

Mental Health of Students:

Many are concerned about the mental health of students during the corona pandemic. Students have been identified with deteriorating mental health due to the Corona outbreak, and universities have been working on conducting webinars and sessions to help students. Students suffering from mental illness do not ask for help which is the main concern for mental health specialists. But about 71% of students reported that they now know where to take help and a lot of students are also feeling hopeful for their futures.

Apart from this,

Offered guidance in student Visas has increased

Communication has increased between students and universities about student’s health and well-being

Universities are providing emergency funding to international students

More virtual webinars/sessions are being hosted for students, not only for academics but for career guidance and many other relevant topics.

Communications have increased between students and universities

As the world is opening now, things are slowly getting back to normal. The Corona outbreak affected our lives and clicked the pause button for some time. But everything is back on track now. With this, we wish you luck in your higher studies in the USA.