According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Chinese Network reported on the 28th, students of the Veterinary Medicine Department of the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom have returned to school to start classes, and their university life has been very different from the past due to the impact of the new crown epidemic.
According to the report, these students are the first students to open school on British university campuses. Paul Greatrix, a university registrar, said safety was a top priority.
Data chart: On June 29, local time, in downtown Leicester, England, pedestrians walked by slogans reminding people to maintain social distancing.
【Back to School】
The first to return to class were 150 veterinary students, who were divided into smaller groups, or "bubbles", and the students in the same "bubble" studied and lived together, and rarely had contact with other students with different "bubbles", so that cross-infection could be avoided as much as possible.
The number of people per bubble varies between 3 and 10 people, and the people inside the bubble do not need to maintain social distancing or wear a mask, but if they come into contact with people with different bubbles, they need to maintain social distancing and wear a mask.
The school building has planned a one-way way of passing, set up alcohol disinfectant at a fixed point, and teachers and students must wear masks during face-to-face classes. Large classes with large numbers of people use online lectures, and group teaching is face-to-face, which is absolutely necessary for technical disciplines such as veterinary medicine.
The university's student bar is closed, and the college students' pizza dinners are held online.
Infographic: British photographer JJ Waller took more than 100 portraits of individuals and families behind windows, doors and balcony glass between March 19 and May 21. This may be a powerful proof that these people have experienced self-blockade firsthand.
【Student Feelings】
Students at the University of Nottingham are very happy to be back on campus, and while they have to adapt to many new rules, it is better than being locked up at home and studying online in the previous few months. Student Amy Thornton, who was in the same bubble as five other students, said, "Everyone is hoping to go back to school, and it's really nice to see my classmates." ”
Most students don't mind the rule of wearing masks in class, but they found that some animals in the internship class felt uneasy when they saw people wearing masks.
Clinical assistant Sarah Cripps said it was also a pleasure for university teachers to see students return to campus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have not closed their doors, but have switched to online teaching, and students and teachers have missed many opportunities to fully experience campus life.
For departments like veterinary medicine that require hands-on learning, online teaching is unlikely to replace face-to-face teaching.
Infographic: Commuters wearing masks arrive at Paddington Station in London, England.
【Safety Considerations】
Greyricks said returning all 40,000 students and staff at the University of Nottingham to campus would be the biggest project facing the university. Starting in September, students and faculty will arrive at different times to reduce exposure.
The university has also made contingency plans to cope with outbreaks on campus or in Nottingham.
Ensuring safety is a top priority for universities and a major concern for overseas students. Greyricks said he couldn't say how many overseas students would report to campus this fall, but it would be nice if 50 percent of international students came to report.
He said that while universities could introduce new safety regulations, there was limited that they could do, and college students were already adults and could not prevent students from coming into contact with others outside of campus.
"All we can do is keep reminding students to take responsibility."
Source: China News Network