Third Time’s the Charm: An Overview of the First Week of Classes

By: Nesrien Abdelkader & Judith Uttendorfer
@NesrienAshraf
@judith_utd

Photo Credit: Dalia Abdelwahab

Hand sanitizer? Check. Face mask? Check. WiFi Connection? Maybe not…

While hopes for a return to campus this spring remain high, the AUC community is still grappling with connectivity and gadget challenges as it tries to make the most out of the online learning experience. 

But initial reports from students and faculty appear to indicate that the third time may be the charm of learning and working from home.

SU President Ahmed Saeed believes that AUC’s third online semester is off to a great start and that students can expect positive improvements. 

“If not the optimum solution for now, it looks like this semester will not be as hard as the two before it in terms of professors accommodating to [students’] needs and suggestions when it comes to a better online educational experience. I’m personally excited for Spring 2021 and I expect great things to happen,” Saeed told The Caravan. 

Saeed expects students to be provided with the necessary resources to make this semester run smoothly, after student led protests last fall.

“I also think that many students are awaiting their return to campus, be it more access to campus or half of their classes meeting to face to face. I personally cannot wait to go back to campus. I trust the process, and I hope everyone does too,” he said.

While the student body doesn’t have an easy time during this period, one has to keep in mind that professors are facing the same struggles. 

Sophie Haspeslagh, assistant professor at the Political Science department, believes it is very important in these challenging times to be more open with each other and to listen. 

She hopes her students express their concerns early on, rather than piling them up.

“We are teaching in unprecedented times, in the middle of a pandemic, and this situation really brought home to me that we do not know what is really going on in each other’s lives when we just meet on screens. We have to remember to be kind to each other,” said Haspeslagh.

While she believes that nothing can make up for face to face teaching, there are some aspects of the online period which are beneficial. 

“I miss the classroom but once we are back I will also try to keep some of these new tools I have discovered, especially those that make learning accessible in different formats,” Haspeslagh added.

Following recent efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Egyptian cabinet has announced the suspension of all face to face classes in schools and universities across the country until February 20. However, there has been no official announcement from Provost Ehab Abdel Rahman regarding a return to campus for AUC students yet.  

Business Finance Freshman Mariam Omar started off her journey at AUC totally online in Fall 2020.

“I feel like I’m missing out on the experience especially since I’ve only been on campus once, and I didn’t get a full on university experience at all. It made me feel sad and unmotivated at first but now I’m hopeful that I can make it up in my next 3 years of university,” she said. 

She initially had trouble dealing with the pressure of university life and felt unprepared during her first semester. However, Omar has breezed through the first week of classes with no issues this time around. 

“I am more confident and I know how to use the online tools to help me. Also, I am less confused about the system. It’s showing in my classes as I am now confident enough to communicate more with my professors and classmates on zoom,” Omar said. 

She was not the only student who initially had trouble adjusting to the online learning. 

Karim Aboukoura, Computer Science sophomore, just returned from a gap semester and was suddenly faced with a number of problems including WiFi issues, heavy workload and early classes. 

“I was shocked and disappointed because it felt like so long since I’ve seen human faces and socialized,” he said. 

Aboukoura is still holding out for the moment that AUC starts partial face to face learning. He added that the experience from two previous online semesters will encourage the university to create a more manageable workload for students and boost interaction.