As Queen’s plans to return to in-person learning, the Class of ’25 is cautious and excited.
The Journal spoke with two incoming students about their preparations for the transition back to campus.
Emelia Patterson, ArtSci ’25, said that while she’s excited to come to Queen’s, she’s concerned about returning to the classroom after graduating virtually from high school.
“I hope they treat us with understanding as we begin university only having had half a high school experience. We spent the last year and a half online and lost a lot of the study skills and social skills we had before COVID,” Patterson said.
“I just hope [the university] understands the toll the pandemic has taken on students.”
Beyond academics, Patterson is looking forward to more opportunities for socializing.
“I hope that COVID restrictions will be lessened enough for us to have a somewhat normal frosh experience. I’d really like to see Homecoming in person, and I’d also like to see the majority of classes be in-person because I think online learning has been very tough for us all,” she said.
Shania Sheth, HealthSci ’25, said she’s confident she’ll be successful in this transition period.
“Based on what I’ve seen from the program—the teachers, professors, and everyone in the faculty […]—they seem like they’re willing to help everyone get on the same level,” Sheth said in an interview with The Journal.
Sheth added that, as a result of online learning, she believes incoming first-year students will work hard and be self-motivated.
“When you’re online, it’s a different level of independence.”
She added that she believes the student population as a whole will be resilient.
“We’ve had to overcome a lot of barriers […] Everything combined has led to us working our hardest, trying to overcome any obstacles, while having a positive outlook.”
Sheth said the pandemic has fostered a shared experience between all students. She believes the Queen’s community will be able to relate to one another as a result.
“We went through this together and we’re going to try to get out of it and back to normal together as well.”
Sheth added that approaching the school year with an optimistic attitude will be beneficial for incoming students who are uncertain about the transition.
“This is the year where we have to approach everything with a smile and try to make the most of every moment.”
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