Since colleges and universities on Long Island closed due to COVID-19, students have been forced to adapt to a new method of learning. At Hofstra, online learning has been in effect since Monday, March 23, and will continue for the remainder of the semester. 

The change has not been easy for Long Island students, some of whom said that they were not prepared for the shift from face-to-face classes to an online format. “They didn’t prepare us for all that would happen,” said Mark Salvator, a junior aviation administration major at Farmingdale State College. 

Salvator added that online work is compatible with only some classes. “I find online work is fine for some classes; however, some classes like photography and air traffic control class are now difficult because they were never intended to be done online,” he said.

“The main issue is that we won’t have access to the lab to complete the lab portion of the course [advanced electronics],” said Marcus Rivera, a second-year student at Suffolk County Community College pursuing an associate degree in electrical engineering technology.

In addition to these technical difficulties, some students said they also feel more distracted at home and that these distractions take away from their learning environment. 

“Motivation and focus are gone,” said Joseph Adelmann, a senior radio production and studies major at Hofstra. “Those of us in hands-on production-type courses have suffered because there is no substitute for in-studio time.”

“It is definitely harder to stay motivated during online classes,” said David Blicksilver, a sophomore journalism major at Hofstra. “I find myself with so many distractions around the house that even if classes are meeting on schedule, it is very easy to turn off the camera or microphone and look at my phone.” 

“It is even worse if classes are not meeting on schedule and the work is assigned on a week-by-week basis,” Blicksilver added. “There is no constant reminder to get work done.”

However, some students emphasized that faculty and staff are trying their best to provide students with the best education they can under these trying circumstances.

“Faculty are hating this just as much as we are and are grasping at straws to try and salvage what education they can give,” Adelmann said.

“For the most part, [professors] have been very understanding during these times,” Blicksilver said. “This is just as frustrating and new to them as it is to us.”