Ayanna Hale was going into her first spring semester of college when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This meant moving out of her dorm, not seeing her college friends, and being forced to learn online. When the University of Memphis announced the return to campus- two semesters later- Hale, now 20, couldn’t wait to continue her in-person college experience.
While many students were gearing up to see their professors in person, Hale was getting ready for a more unique type of experience. “I stayed on campus, but all of my classes were online,” she said.
Because she had gotten so adjusted to the online classes during the pandemic, she wanted to continue that way of learning while still engaging with people and events on campus. “Staying at home was very draining for me. I became too comfortable with being by myself and wanted to become more social.”
Hale wasted no time jumping back into the swing of things when returning to campus. She quickly began joining clubs like the Black Student Association and attending events on campus like the foam party and Meet the Greeks.
Aside from classes and events, the Mississippi native also started working for the university as a student employee. “It just seemed like a great opportunity to make extra money and know more people on campus,” she said. Living in Carpenter Complex, she was tasked with sitting in the booth at the entrance of the apartment. This job allowed her to do her schoolwork in a different setting and catch some fresh air.
When asked if she felt she was getting a real learning experience, she said, “Absolutely. I get to learn at my own pace and my teachers online are just as real as the teachers on campus.” She further explained that since her professors teach online, they are more helpful when responding to emails and aiding her wherever she needs help.
As the semester comes to an end, she reflected on what she has learned and what she will do differently as the next semester approaches. “Having fun can definitely get in the way of things,” she said, laughing, “I have better learned how to put my priorities first and focus on what is important.”
Next year she said she plans to stay more organized while still continuing to grow her social life.
