Mocs News Reporting the news that matters most to UTC
By: Ryan M. Brooks Mocs News Writer
The University of Tennessee has overcome a lot of changes throughout the school year, to which numerous colleges can relate. Most of the students that were on campus before the pandemic have had to undergo various adjustments to reach the standards COVID-19 set for them.
UTC has always made it their top priority to keep students involved at all costs. To adhere with the CDC guidelines, the university moved most of the students online for the 2020-2021 school year with a gradual lift from required mandates this 2021- 2022 academic year.
Our campus has opened back up its programs as far as having events to bring all students back out this 2021-2022 school year like our I Love UTC Week that provided activities for students all week. A couple of UTC students Josh Coleman and Abby Longhorn shared the impact covid has had over their college experience.
“Through my senior year it wasn’t easy because I’m used to being able to go and do the things needed to pursue my career, but when the pandemic hit a lot of those opportunities got stripped away from me,” said Josh Coleman, UTC Senior. “Through it all I still feel like I had a wonderful college experience,” said Coleman.
The students at UTC are still working towards their success within their college careers, and UTC continues to give their students great opportunities to make them succeed. “College is not exactly the way I always imagined it to be based on all the movies I’ve watched, but UTC has made my time spent worthwhile and I wouldn’t change a thing,” said Abby Longhorn, UTC Freshman. “The pandemic has changed the way I view school because of all the online courses, but the work is still tough; so I guess I’m still getting the full college experience,” said Longhorn.
There are many students that have comparable experiences because the pandemic added a lot of stress to the workload of many. Even now, people are still getting used to transitioning back into a sense of normality. It’s different for all college students because of the many personalities that they present.
According to the BMC (Biology Medical Center), “Given that most students’ concerns were heightened when college campuses sent students home as well as the detrimental effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ mental health, it is crucial for colleges as well as federal regulations to provide the appropriate accommodations and access to mental health care to ensure well-being and safety are prioritized as much as – if not more – than education.”
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has made it a priority to keep students engaged and appreciated, so students find ways of releasing their stress in healthy ways. It’s a good day to be a Moc!
