Seth Root/The Broadside

2020 has been an unprecedented year. Americans have dealt with impeachment, wildfires and racial hatred towards each other. But that is not the only thing that Americans are facing today.

Since the start of the fall term, College students from all over the U.S are dealing with distance learning due to COVID-19, which has killed many people.

Risa Teicheira, a student at Central Oregon Community College, is okay with having to do classes online this fall term. Despite not liking Zoom classes generally, Teicheira expressed in an interview that her experience isn’t a bad one so far.

“I’m okay with distance learning,” said Teicheira.

“I prefer online classes overall, so Zoom isn’t too bad.”

Teicheira isn’t the only one that prefers online classes during a pandemic. According to student loan hero, which tracks how students feel about COVID, 45 percent of college students said they would prefer online classes.

However, some say that online learning takes away something important in college life– namely, campus culture. Teicheira sympathizes with that position to some degree but says that you can still make friends online.

“I believe that as social creatures, many people rely on social interaction and friends in classes to get through them,” said Teicheira.

“I don’t personally have this issue, and a lot of my Zoom classes have created friends that I normally wouldn’t have made in class.”

Teicheira feels that there are pros and cons to distance learning, but overall it still has some benefits.

Teicheira said, “So it has pros and cons, and for me, I think it’s pushed me a bit out of my comfort zone, which I’m not a fan of, but it’s had its benefits.”