I know I'm probably being unreasonable, but my university is going almost entirely online only learning this year and I'm unhappy about it.

[It’s Time To Go]

I'm in my second year of university in London, and my university emailed us today confirming that the entire year will be 95% online learning, not on campus at all. I feel extremely unhappy with this. I know Covid safety concerns are serious and should be taken seriously. But paying 9 thousand pounds a year to sit at home and do essays, missing out on any kind of social interactions or opportunities, feels like a fucking rip off, frankly. I'm extremely pissed off about it. Even though I acknowledge I am probably unreasonable.

 

[Fulminator]

I don't think it's unreasonable at all to want/expect a cheaper tuition when you clearly don't have the same benefits/resources of on campus learning.

 

[Stooge]

You're being very unreasonable. It's a pandemic

 

[Static]

You got screwed but so did everyone else. Fingers crossed that your instruction is at least comparable to the in-class quality you would've received on campus, because some people's teaching has felt really phoned in with online learning. Pardon the pun.

 

[Dervius]

I'm in my second year of university in London, and my university emailed us today confirming that the entire year will be 95% online learning, not on campus at all. I feel extremely unhappy with this. I know Covid safety concerns are serious and should be taken seriously. But paying 9 thousand pounds a year to sit at home and do essays, missing out on any kind of social interactions or opportunities, feels like a fucking rip off, frankly. I'm extremely pissed off about it. Even though I acknowledge I am probably unreasonable.

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Not unreasonable to be annoyed at all.

Not sure what else you could do other than defer or take a gap year.

 

[CrankyJay]

Everyone is taking a bite of the 2020 shit sandwich. This is just yours.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Not unreasonable to be annoyed you're still paying full tuition.

That said, come on over to the US, where we'll charge you four times as much, invite you on campus for a week and then send you home as a perfectly engineered virus bomb

 

[gully state]

Not unreasonable.. and just because everyone is going through it as well is not an excuse. University tuition should be cheaper for those who are forced to go through online only learning.

 

[Tater]

I'd be pissed off as well, but these are exceptional times. It's not like the school wants to do remote learning, it's a response to a pandemic that has wreaked havoc across the entire world.

Not really sure what your options are, other than deferring for a year.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

You're being very unreasonable. It's a pandemic

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OP is talking about the tuition. I don't see how it being a pandemic means OP should pay as much, for less.

 

[Cantaim]

You're being very unreasonable. It's a pandemic

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Since universities are not lowering their tuitions I say nope. How is it fair that us college students still have to fork over a fortune in tuition this semester. While not having access to any of the resources the universities promote as justification for high tuition? It's bullshit our prices should have gone down

 

[It’s Time To Go]

Not unreasonable to be annoyed at all.

Not sure what else you could do other than defer or take a gap year.

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I'd be pissed off as well, but these are exceptional times. It's not like the school wants to do remote learning, it's a response to a pandemic that has wreaked havoc across the entire world.

Not really sure what your options are, other than deferring for a year.

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My current plan is to complain about it on Era. I've emailed my head of school and my academic adviser about a deferment but their emails both emailed back saying they won't be responding to emails till the semester starts.

 

[abellwillring]

I think the main thing is that the quality of the professors is the same. More traditional for-profit online-only universities here in the US at least were not offering the same caliber or quality of teaching. Your degree is still going to say whatever university it is (UCL?) and frankly that's the most important thing in the end.

To further expand upon this point: You'd have to have the professors taking pay cuts to really pass along savings and they're generally at the point in their career where that isn't a realistic option. Most of them aren't millionaires so it's not like a coach taking a cut or something.

 

[echoshifting]

After my experience in spring I decided to defer until we can do live instruction again. It is just too compromised for me. It felt like half the course material had been dropped.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

I don't think it's unreasonable at all to want/expect a cheaper tuition when you clearly don't have the same benefits/resources of on campus learning.

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I think this depends. A credit hour is a credit hour and credit hours have been offered in a variety of ways beyond in-person for decades now even at reputable schools. It may not be ideal, but ultimately, you'd be making progress towards a degree, which is what was promised out of paying that base tuition fee. And of course there are exceptions there too such as labs or courses where in-person/hands-on is absolutely necessary. Where instead either the course isn't offered for this semester or it's offered in-person.

There are even a number of campus services that are still operating, but in a different capacity or delivery format. So some campus services are still functioning even if you're doing it in a virtual format. Writing support, tutoring, etc. Now of course there are also other things where it is impossible to do at a distance. For stuff like that, yeah standard fees should be reduced or eliminated.

But a discount on the actual tuition? Don't really agree there.

 

[hjort]

I don't think it's unreasonable, 'cause fuck, that's a lot of money, but I expected your reason to be a bit different. Like, being worried about not getting the same quality education as a result of the remote studies or something like that. The social stuff seems like it would be secondary to that. Then again, I'm a boring piece of shit that didn't really want to hang out with people more than necessary for the most part, and I didn't have to pay for my studies in the first place.

 

[SeeingeyeDug]

Other people at that same university likely already had an option to pursue their degree online only at the same tuition rate.

This pandemic is really just highlighting that that is kinda BS. You're not using the physical facilities so why do you pay the same price?

 

[Kelsdesu]

It should be cheaper for you. Also, if and when this passes will they continue to have online only? If it's good now why not in the future?

 

[hythloday]

You're being very unreasonable. It's a pandemic

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Being in a pandemic sucks, and I don't think it's unreasonable to feel or vent a little frustration about it.

 

[Mekanos]

Campuses shouldn't charge standard rates for at home learning but y'know... maybe we shouldn't charge for education at all!

 

[zeitgeist]

The fact that tuition has probably increased since last year would be infuriating to me.

I wonder if I would have deferred a year if I were still in school.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

I don't think it's unreasonable, 'cause fuck, that's a lot of money, but I expected your reason to be a bit different. Like, being worried about not getting the same quality education as a result of the distance studies or something like that. The social stuff seems like it would be secondary to that. Then again, I'm a boring piece of shit that didn't really want to hang out with people more than necessary for the most part, and I didn't have to pay for my studies in the first place.

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It is the tuition costs, but also the fact I have very few friends, and frankly I'm sick to death of my flat after just shy of half a year of my flat. The uni also released a statement saying no reduction or adjustment in fees was being considered.

 

[Huey]

If you want a discount on tuition, you're not being unreasonable.

If you want to go sit in large classrooms full of people, you're being very unreasonable. Universities will be havens of superspread events and propagate the pandemic, which is already kindling moving into the fall. I sympathize with students whose education is getting affected, but it is an unprecedented time in human history.

 

[Stooge]

Since universities are not lowering their tuitions I say nope. How is it fair that us college students still have to fork over a fortune in tuition this semester. While not having access to any of the resources the universities promote as justification for high tuition? It's bullshit our prices should have gone down

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I have a lot of friends who work in higher education being forced on campus for in person classes right now who are worried about their health and safety.

I'd take online only and lives being put first over that.

 

[Van Bur3n]

Cost of tuition needs to be cut as a result.

But ye, it's sucks, bruv. But what can you do, amirite.

 

[wenis]

take a sabbatical and come back when on-campus classes begin.

 

[Beef Supreme]

I had to take the year off and I hate to do it, but there are some classes where you must have an instructor present. I'm taking the basics online, though.

 

[LinkStrikesBack]

I don't think it's unreasonable at all to want/expect a cheaper tuition when you clearly don't have the same benefits/resources of on campus learning.

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I mean, it fucking sucks for the students, but none of the costs have really gone anywhere. The really major costs like staff wages and building rent probably haven't changed at all.

A reduction in tuition would mean universities need to fire staff members and push the existing work on who is left. Quite a few UK universities have already pushed for "voluntary" redundancies quite hard this year already. Not to mention the online teaching means staff have already been having to work harder this year than a normal one.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

If you want a discount on tuition, you're not being unreasonable.

If you want to go sit in large classrooms full of people, you're being very unreasonable. Universities will be havens of superspread events and propagate the pandemic, which is already kindling moving into the fall. I sympathize with students whose education is getting affected, but it is an unprecedented time in human history.

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Well both. Obviously I wasn't expecting to return to a crowded lecture hall or a tiny seminar room, but I was expecting some form of human interaction that wasn't typing an email or through WhatsApp.

 

[hjort]

It is the tuition costs, but also the fact I have very few friends, and frankly I'm sick to death of my flat after just shy of half a year of my flat. The uni also released a statement saying no reduction or adjustment in fees was being considered.

Click to shrink...

Ah, I see. In that light I understand your position even better. Going to uni can definitely be a great way to meet people if that's something one wants to do, and it's a pretty unique context to do it in. And I do get getting sick of your flat. If I would have had to stay in the tiny ass dorm room I rented back in the day I would probably have gone crazy for real. I'm fairly sure prison cells over here have to be bigger than the room I had.

 

[Dust]

I am sooooooooooo glad all education is behind me, I would have went mad with online classes.

 

[Shadow Walker]

Tuition should be cheaper I agree.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

I mean, it fucking sucks for the students, but none of the costs have really gone anywhere.

A reduction in tuition would mean universities need to fire staff members and push the existing work on who is less. Quite a few UK universities have already pushed for "voluntary" redundancies quite hard this year already.

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Yeah I don't get where it comes from that online teaching is cheaper to run. You still need the professors there along with staff. And then you also have to invest more in the technologies to account for an influx of people going remote.

I think people also don't realize that tuition is just one part of school costs. Tuition literally pays for the costs of teaching. But there are other campus fees on top of that. Those getting discounted or eliminated if not offered is certainly reasonable and should be the norm.

 

[Mona]

its ok to be unhappy

 

[R0b1n]

Well both. Obviously I wasn't expecting to return to a crowded lecture hall or a tiny seminar room, but I was expecting some form of human interaction that wasn't typing an email or through WhatsApp.

Click to shrink...

Is there no video conferencing?

 

[Ferrio]

To me it is a little unreasonable, because these are special circumstances that we're all in. Everyone is affected, you're not a special case in this, none of us are. We're all inconvenienced, getting less for our money etc. So you lower tuition, then what? The university still needs to pay bills and staff, it isn't like things are cheaper for them right now either.

That said it does suck, and just another story in how fucked up this whole situation is.

 

[Kthulhu]

You aren't being unreasonable. Universities are ripping off their students when they're charging this much for online classes.

 

[Huey]

Well both. Obviously I wasn't expecting to return to a crowded lecture hall or a tiny seminar room, but I was expecting some form of human interaction that wasn't typing an email or through WhatsApp.

Click to shrink...

Give it time - maybe institutions will figure out a middle ground.

And I really do sympathize - this is an extremely abnormal thing for young people, who are defining their identities by similarity and difference to others right now. It's overly simplistic to say the young people that are going out socializing - who are the major drivers of ongoing viral spread right now - are selfish and don't care about other people. It's basically a normal part of the physiology of young adulthood, and being deprived of it is its own form of illness.

I really hope it's short lived for you guys. Everybody is struggling with this, but there are definitely certain age groups that have been hit harder by lockdowns and social distancing.

Just keep venting here and spend time outside with people.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

But paying 9 thousand pounds a year

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Yup, first thought as well. I aint paying for the hallways and stairs I'm not using and classrooms I'm not sitting in. GTFO

 

[Flame Flamey]

My grad school charged us an extra 100 bucks for distance learning

I think we got some of the other fees related to the non-usable facilities removed, but still, I think they could have refrained from that

 

[It’s Time To Go]

Is there no video conferencing?

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Lmao they're 'working on plans to further online learning' but right now its gonna be pre-recorded lectures and emails.

 

[Deleted member 21339]

It's a total rip off.

 

[RDreamer]

I'd say it's not unreasonable for you to be annoyed but it's also not unreasonable for public universities to be less able to be flexible. There are a lot of fixed costs in the institution. And online teaching is largely harder on the teachers themselves.

Thing is if they had to charge less and fire a ton of staff and cut things then guess what, your next semesters and years you'd be taking classes at a decimated school.

 

[LinkStrikesBack]

You aren't being unreasonable. Universities are ripping off their students when they're charging this much for online classes.

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So how many staff should they fire to lower tuition fees then?

Because that's the only option with real wiggle room. Presumably they're going to want the buildings when this is all over, so they can't sell them, after all.

Everyone, at least at decent universities, is working really hard to try and make this work, and nobody asked for the pandemic to ruin everything

 

[RedVanguard]

I am sooooooooooo glad all education is behind me, I would have went mad with online classes.

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Yup, graduated last year. While I do work for a college, I'm totally ok with working remotely. Actually took a semester of all online courses years ago before Zoom University was a thing and yeah it was terrible. Was planning on applying for graduate programs, but not until we can go back in-person cause I ain't paying in-person prices for online learning.

Working in higher education is conflicting: yeah the tuition needs to be cheaper, but at the same time a lot of the employees' salaries derive from it so it hurts a lot of us too. Lose-lose all around.

 

[Cantaim]

I have a lot of friends who work in higher education being forced on campus for in person classes right now who are worried about their health and safety.

I'd take online only and lives being put first over that.

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Did I say I wanted to go back to campus? No I didn't. I said it's ridiculous that we are being charged the same tuition for an education that isn't worth it's salt this semester.

 

[Pockets]

We still got 10 months on the off campus housing lease even though my sons university shut down after 1 week of in person.

How ya think I feel?

 

[Cbrun44]

It obviously isn't the solution for everyone, but if I were back at university, I'd take the year off entirely. Just seems like a wasted year. I would have had a really hard time doing all virtual classes which is absolutely necessary right now.

I do know that my opinion is skewed as a 38-year-old. 21 Year old me would have likely thought very differently.

 

[Deleted member 8752]

You're being very unreasonable. It's a pandemic

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I don't think this is a good attitude.

By no means should people be shamed for feeling upset that we are in a pandemic. Not following protocols to socially distance from others should be shamed, yes. But OP is just saying he's unhappy with things. And his feelings are perfectly valid. We are in difficult times. And it's okay and probably healthy to vent that it's taking a mental toll.

If my college experience were ruined like OP's I'd be bummed out too. Just remember, other people have lost their lives and loved ones, and it will put things into perspective.

 

[Kill3r7]

I am not sure what you want the university to do. Talk to the Dean/admissions and take a year off and return when students are back on campus.