Exactly. Public libraries are still closed here, so we have had to purchase the specialized books needed for self-study. D also wants to improve her tech skills, but, alas, certain relevant free courses require an Apple computer or software she doesn’t have. This stuff may be chump change for some, but it’s not affordable for everyone. D is taking advantage of free stuff anyway and is learning, but the free material is not exactly what she needs for her career goals.
Our doctors group is also recommending against antibody testing. They say they are unreliable, you don’t know if it conveys any immunity even if you are positive, and there is no difference in treatment based on having a positive or negative test. So basically, they are worthless.
@Leigh22 Wow on that Ursinus plan. So I bring my Covid + student home with myself, my husband, and my other 3 kids in the house who are currently attending K-12 school and I guess they all have to go online? I mean, they would have to and my husband and I if we were working outside the home would also have to only WFH.
This is a very good point. Too bad the schools can’t send the CV test to the students house and then they spit and send it in. They are ask to quarantine 14 days before coming anyway. But probably makes sense to do it once on campus.
U Penn just announced that students will return to campus and instruction will be a hybrid model, the campus will close when students go home for Thanksgiving, no return date set for the spring semester. DS is a rising sophomore with an off-campus apartment, he is in Wharton so almost all his classes are large and will be online. https://www.thedp.com/article/2020/06/penn-fall-2020-semester-decision-coronavirus
Curious, what’s she looking for? There may also be free, open source alternatives.
I think the next month will tell us a lot – especially with regards to how athletes brought back to campus early for preseason fare, and even more especially how the virus is doing throughout the US.
To me, right now, it looks like the virus is just about to go out of control in a bunch of states. Even if some states keep cases low, national colleges who will be bringing kids back from all over, including hot spots, with many (most?) on airplanes. I think this is a recipe for many cases at the outset. Perhaps the schools can control these early cases, perhaps not.
Given my pessimistic view, the option of keeping my rising junior son home is one I’m considering. The upheaval of having to fly home after 2 weeks, or a month or whatever, seems like a distinct possibility. Why not avoid that and also save on room and board? Especially since the social side of things is so severely curtailed?
(I’m partly posting so I have this “on the record” so I can see how my prediction did looking back in August!).
I most certainly hope I am wrong btw. And also because of my pessimism, I totally support Bowdoin’s plan (and has raised my opinion of the college).
But not “at any cost” and “no matter what”.
And under the current circumstances, I would strongly prefer to keep our rising freshman home in the Fall, and am encouraged by the early indications that that may be the plan MIT ultimately goes with.
Optimizing plans for pessimistic scenarios is probably the best thing anyone can do right now.
Planning for staying at home includes making sure you have the best internet connectivity you can, a dedicated area to study, perhaps more computer options.
Our son’s “stay at home” plans includes options with and without work. He’s looking at the possibility of remote research assistant job, TA job, or even extending his internship.
He also has several variants for on-campus graduate dorm and even off campus apartment plans.
I too certainly hope for the best, but plan for the rest.
Planning is empowering…Waiting to plan until your school has a final plan is frustrating.
@TheVulcan If MIT were to have classes on campus but give everyone the option to do online instead, would you (your son) choose the option of learning online?
@ElonMomMD You said Elon made several disclaimers regarding tuition, room and board. Did they make a specific disclaimer about not refunding room and board if the virus forces them to send the kids home early?
Upthread I believe someone mentioned such a disclaimer at another school - I’m wondering if this is going to be standard fine print in all the housing contracts.
I follow a higher ed blog and one post was detailing some interesting innovations that have come about as a result of the challenges of transitioning to online offerings.
No mention of room and board refunds.
I read your first post too quickly and thought it said that they would not be refunding housing, similar to the colleges in NC. Thanks for clarifying.
I personally believe that in-person education is better & more effective for many subjects. Both my kids agree.
But.
Both my kids now spend a portion of their day learning/communicating online, for both school and work.
And they both say, it’s a VALUABLE skill.
Like it or not, online communication and learning is here to stay (though hopefully not for undergrads as per my line #1).
Graduate students and employees who know how to do and use online effectively are one step ahead. The technology will evolve to be better, and the sooner our kids learn to use it well, the easier their professional lives will become.
So how about looking at online school from the perspective – it’s not ideal. But it’s a useful SKILL. After all, skills are part of why we send our kiddos to college.
Where did you get that stat? I’ve read ~46% (54% at home) live away from home for college, not 12%
https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/living-at-home-in-college/
Twelve percent on campus and 46% away from home are compatible. That would mean 12% on campus, 34% off campus, 54% at home.
Thanks for the commiserating. Clearly, my kid knows she doesn’t have it that bad - but teenage (girl, in this case) angst is real. I’ll just “smile and nod” on the other non-helpful comment about this.
I can’t see the Bowdoin plan for fall failing. Think about it, there will only be about 500 kids on campus for the most part confined to their single rooms taking classes online. They can’t venture to town and even if they did, chances are minute they would catch the virus because Brunswick has very few cases. When they leave their dorm for the one small class they have or to get food they will be masked and socially distanced. Plus they will be regularly tested. And there are likely to be very few or no clandestine parties because there will be no upperclassmen or athletes on campus to throw them.
Tulane has announced move in dates. First years are staggered over four days. You select a 30 minute move in window, which can’t be the same as your roommate’s. One family member may accompany the student to unpack. they are having us ship almost everything and it will be put in the dorm room prior to arrival. Student needs to arrive 48 hours prior to their move in window for testing, which will be coordinated at a location off campus. No one moves in until their test comes back negative. Tulane has designated one dorm ( I think) for an infirmary. Singles in nearby hotels have been offered, but doubles are allowed in the dorms.
Orientation, I assume, begins after the 4th and final day of freshman move in. At the same time, the sophomores on up who live on campus start their staggered move in. Most juniors and seniors live off campus and I was not paying attention to how/when they are to be tested.
I think some classes are online and some in person, but again I need to go back and look at what my S registered for to see what he got.
I believe they said they will test everyone once a month, on a rolling basis. Their webinar presentations do inspire confidence. It is an incredible amount of information. I think they have so many people working on how to make this work. Crossing fingers hard that it does.
Students will come home at Thanksgiving and do finals online from there. I hope they are able to stay that long!