To my weary delight, this term has greeted us with a phased resumption of in-person college life. Zoom classes in our pyjamas seem to be (hopefully) reaching their end, and the re-adjustment to a tangible college experience has commenced.
There is really no comparison between online and in-person college. Perhaps, looking back through rose-tinted glasses, we may romanticise the days of online college – attending classes from the comfort of our beds or watching lectures at higher speeds. In truth, however, it was a less than positive experience, speaking for myself, at least. Losing connection during my Victorian literature tutorial due to poor wifi signal is not what I predicted I was signing up for when filling out my CAO application. As such, I am overjoyed to be back on campus, although this welcome return brings with it a host of new norms through which to navigate the murky waters of post-lockdown Trinity.
There are, of course, the challenges that always went hand in hand with in-person college. Encountering these for the first time in some 18 months has brought about a déjà vu-like sensation. My jaw dropped upon hearing the “low balance” chime after scanning my Leap card for the Luas within three days of returning to Trinity. All too quickly, the staggering accumulative cost of regular public transport usage once again hit me like a tonne of bricks. I almost hope for ticket inspectors to appear when I take the Luas, as if that will somehow justify the price. Similarly, the price of coffee adds up all too quickly when it can be so conveniently acquired by the entrance to the Arts Block. That was a strategic placement, if you ask me.
There were some pandemic-induced changes I came to enjoy: before the grand re-opening of campus to the public, I must admit I felt rather smug when entering, whipping out my blue card and nonchalantly tapping it against the card reader, turning the light green. It felt rather exclusive to swagger past the gathering crowds of tourists and general townsfolk, thinking to myself: “I’m somewhat of a regular here.”
I am overjoyed to be back on campus, although this welcome return brings with it a host of new norms
Personally, I wouldn’t have minded this change being made permanent. It provided me with the sort of validation you only receive from being let into an exclusive club, or telling the waiter in Nando’s that you have been there before and you know how the ordering works.
Another of the measures I will miss somewhat is staggered seating in classrooms and lecture theatres. Not only was it a sensible precaution to prevent the potential spread of coronavirus, but it grants us that bit more personal space during long lectures. I, for one, value my personal space quite highly and, as such, was not quite ready for the return to full capacity public transport and the very real possibility of a member of the general public grazing their shoulder with mine while we both await our stop. I can, of course, understand the impractical nature of only allowing such a reduced capacity into a lecture hall, but I did enjoy the small comfort of extra space.
Mask wearing is, of course, also on the list of requirements for in-person classes. While there are a number of minor downsides to masks, I believe their one major benefit far outweighs these. They may be uncomfortable, clog your pores, fog the view of every poor person who wears glasses and force you to recycle the same small pocket of breath, but each of these complaints is dismissible in the face (no pun intended) of their ability to prevent the spread of disease. They are, in fact, a necessary evil. That said, I still look on enviously at my lecturers as they flaunt their free faces for the 50 minutes in the theatre, unburdened due to their lack of a mask as I sit and stew behind my own.
Despite the many trials and tribulations of the current college experience, there seems to me to be a high-spirited buzz around campus as we gradually return to more in-person classes and numerous other events and activities. I wonder, however, if this atmosphere will last as we move into colder weather and towards the grizzly clutches of the assessment period. The college experience would not be truly complete without procrastination and assessment related stress, but I am hopeful that the access to campus will make this period more manageable for us all.
Having had a significant chunk of my Trinity experience stolen from me, I am more determined than ever not to squander what time I have left – to get out there and strike while the iron is hot.
