Features

It’s good to be back

Now that school is back in session, it’s time to reflect

Ebunoluwa Akinbo, staff

Resuming school in person after two and a half years of learning online means different things to different people. For some, it means getting to see their friends again and make new friends, and for others it’s the fact that they get to learn and interact with classmates.

Personally, I had no idea who my classmates were when I resumed classes at the University of Manitoba in 2021. We all had to learn on Zoom, and not everyone was interested in turning their camera on when we had classes, or even in breakout rooms for discussion.

Resuming in person and hearing some names I could remember from online classes felt quite interesting. When we introduced ourselves in one of my first classes back on campus, my professor remembered me, and we both agreed that it was great to finally meet each other in person. I had imagined what she looked like from my Zoom classes, but she looked absolutely different from my thoughts. She was taller than I thought.

Outside of the classroom, I got to see more and more layers of campus life. The bus stops get so crowded, and the bus gets so full that I just get ready to stay standing when I board one. The fashion sense of students is spectacular. I see friends catching up, and of course there are the people who just sit in the cool weather to read a book.

I’m happy to be back at school experiencing campus life in person.

features@themanitoban.com

/ staff Ebunoluwa Akinbo photos /