Learning From Anywhere: Off-Campus Perspectives

Written by Gillian Baker

Learn​ from A​nywhere (LfA) is a hybrid learning format that gives Boston University students a choice of taking classes in person or remotely. Initially tested back in March for BU students when the pandemic first hit, LfA has expanded into the entirety of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Due to the flexibility of the LfA model, and other factors such as health safety concerns, this year, more than ever, students decided not to live on campus. Some moved into off-campus apartments in nearby communities, like Brookline, Allston and Fenway. Others decided to stay at home.

I myself decided to move off-campus into an apartment in Brookline. I take all of my classes remotely, and only go to campus for my COVID-19 tests. However, I know that every student’s experience is different. In order to take a deeper look into the experiences of off-campus students this semester, I decided to reach out and interview a few of them.

Where are you located this semester?

Sonja Caballero: I’m living off-campus in Brookline, MA with random roommates I found on Facebook.

Abby Bonner: I’m currently at home in Maine. I’m living with my parents and my two dogs.

Matthew Segalla: I’m currently living at my parent’s house in New Hampshire with my mom, dad, and four cats.

Julia Glicksman: I am currently living in an off-campus apartment in Brookline with two friends from my sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi.

Alex Feldman: I am currently living off campus in Brookline with two of my friends.

Why did you decide not to live on campus?

Sonja Caballero: I’ve actually never lived off campus! I decided to this semester because I’m graduating early and knew I could save money living off campus. I also didn't want to commit to on-campus housing since there are restrictions in place including a no visitor policy.

Abby Bonner: I was worried about the pandemic. Although BU had many policies in place to ease student’s worries about the pandemic, I just did not feel it was worth the risk to travel to Boston. Also, the cost of housing at BU was something else I factored into my decision. I do not mind remote classes, but doing mostly remote classes in my dorm room was not something I personally wanted to do. I could do the same thing from home, but at a much cheaper cost.

Matthew Segalla: I could tell BU was taking [the pandemic] seriously but I wasn’t sure I would feel safe in any living situation this year. After seeing how quickly things went downhill when I was studying abroad in London, I was still feeling extremely apprehensive and nervous about living in a place with other people, even close trusted friends. Once I had certain friends decide to move off campus or stay at home, it basically solidified my decision.

Julia Glicksman: I was living off-campus before this semester. When living on campus, I often felt overwhelmed - maybe it was the constant occurrence of running into familiar faces or just the amount of people in dining halls or dorm lobbies - but I always felt a little claustrophobic, even in large spaces. Living off campus, I feel a sense of freedom from classes, stress, and unwanted and awkward run-ins.

Alex Feldman: I have lived off campus since sophomore year. I decided to move off campus to have the accessibility to cook and not have to eat in a dining hall.

Were you involved in any clubs or activities on campus prior to the pandemic?

Sonja Caballero: Yes! I wrote for Her Campus BU and was a student ambassador for Rent the Runway and Xfinity!

Abby Bonner: BU on Broadway, WTBU, and BUTV10!
Matthew Segalla: Just BU On Broadway, but very heavily involved.

Julia Glicksman: Yes, I was and still am involved with Boston University on Broadway. I also have been involved with my sorority since second semester freshman year, and am still involved now.

Alex Feldman: Yes, I am involved in FeelGood, a club on campus.

Alex’s club, FeelGood, hosting an Among Us Night

Are you involved in clubs now? Why or why not? How has participating in these clubs felt this semester?

Sonja Caballero: I still write for Her Campus and work with Xfinity, but the Rent the Runway program ended due to COVID. Things are also different with my other involvement because everything is virtual. Meetings and events don't have the same personal feel like they used to.

Abby Bonner: Yes, I’m involved with all three clubs still. I was a bit worried that I would not be able to participate in clubs this semester since I am studying remotely, but the clubs I am involved in made an effort to allow remote students to still participate. Participating in these clubs this semester has felt different. I only have one year of experience in these clubs to compare it to, but it’s definitely different doing everything remotely. I am incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to still participate in clubs remotely, but I definitely still think in person experiences are better.

Abby stage managing OB Online, BU on Broadway’s virtual showcase.

Matthew Segalla: I am not currently involved. I was invited by members of the Board to join any virtual activities but being so far removed from everything, it’s difficult to find the mindset to try and be a part of it, especially when it looks nothing like the club I’m used to.

Julia Glicksman: Yes! I am involved in BU On Broadway now because I am the Membership Vice President of our E-Board. Without being in person, it is very difficult to feel motivated to create events that can conform to social distancing rules. In addition, pre-COVID, this club was an escape from the screen and a way to get out and socialize doing something you love. However, with all events being made to be online, this aspect of escape has been taken away, and it is quite difficult to deal with.

Alex Feldman: Yes, I am still involved in this club. It has allowed me to stay connected to my friends I have made in the club and stay involved in something I care about.

Do you feel connected to the BU community? Do you feel connected to your off-campus community? Why or why not?

Sonja Caballero: I don't really feel connected to any community currently. It was actually hard for me to adjust at first because I have never lived off campus, especially not with random people. I felt pretty lonely and recently have felt better about it, but not enough to feel strongly towards any community.

Abby Bonner: Yes! I still overall feel connected to BU despite studying remotely. Participating in clubs and virtual events BU offers has been the biggest thing helping me feel connected to the BU community.

Matthew Segalla: I would say I don’t feel connected to the BU community. I think it’s possible to feel connected even when off campus but right now, with covid providing such different personal experiences for everyone, I think a lot of BU community is the shared experiences. I think everyone on campus probably feels a certain connection or comfort in the fact that everyone else is experiencing the same things and facing the same struggles as they are. Same for the people who are choosing to do all online learning. The two other people I know that are taking a leave of absence are in Boston, so I definitely feel like my experience is more specific to what I’m going through and through that, feel a bit of a disconnect from the BU community.

Julia Glicksman: Living off campus, I definitely feel more connected to the off-campus community that I live in. Brookline has started to feel like a second home, and it is truly such a beautiful place. I love exploring, people watching, and trying out all of the restaurants and shops in Brookline, and especially coming from New York City, it’s very nice to be able to live in a suburb that feels like a much smaller community.

Alex Feldman: I feel more connected to the off-campus community in which I live.

For those that are on campus, are you going to class in person or remotely? A mix? How has that been?

Sonja Caballero: I have only been going remotely because I am nervous about COVID. I am really trying to limit unnecessary exposure to group settings. I enjoy Zoom classes a lot too, and hope to get really comfortable with online meetings for future jobs.

Sonja working from home.

Julia Glicksman: I am going to class remotely. At the start of the year, I was planning on doing a mix of in person and remote classes. However, after my first day of taking a class that was only offered online, I realized that I actually enjoyed taking classes from my apartment. I miss the feeling of being in class in person, but without actually seeing my teacher’s and my classmates’ faces, I did not truly see the point of risking exposure.

Alex Feldman: At first, I was going to some classes in person and some remotely. I have now fully transitioned to remote learning. I decided it was easier on my schedule to do all of my classes remotely because I planned them back to back. It has been hard being in the same setting for all of my classes, and I notice that I have been more antsy because I don’t move all day.

Do you feel supported by BU this semester?

Sonja Caballero: I do feel supported by BU because of the COVID test guidelines and their commitment to our learning. More so, I think the professors have done an outstanding job to keep things as normal as possible for students.

Abby Bonner: Yes! Since BU has moved most of their services to Zoom meetings, I definitely still feel supported. Even though I am remote, I’m still able to meet with my COM advisor, meet with the Career Services center, and meet with so many of BU’s other departments. Without zoom meetings, I definitely wouldn’t feel as supported.

Matthew Segalla: I would say I feel supported by BU. Everyone I dealt with through the school, from advisors to professors and all my fellow students and friends who I discussed the leave of absence with, were incredibly encouraging and supportive about my decision. I also know that the BU I know and love will be there for me when I return and that I’ll have friends and faculty that will help me ease back into the rhythm of school and I feel support in just knowing that fact.

Julia Glicksman: I do feel supported by BU this semester. My professors in COM have recently been extremely accommodating to the current situation, giving us extensions and fewer assignments, and I have really appreciated their acknowledgement that these circumstances make doing work much harder than it typically would be.

Alex Feldman: Yes and no. I say yes because I still have access to the testing, and no because I feel they are just worried about those who live on campus and COVID.

For those that are living at home, what is a positive and a negative you’ve experienced since staying home?

Abby Bonner: Since staying home, I’ve been able to work on my cooking and baking skills. Also, staying home has given me more time to spend with my dogs :). However, while staying home was the right choice for me personally, there’s definitely still a lot of loneliness surrounding my choice.

Matthew Segalla: Without the added pressures of school and getting to keep my own schedule, I’ve been able to do a ton of writing recently and am about 70,000 words into a book I’ve been planning to write for about five years. However, I’ll be the first to admit that my mental health has definitely taken a large hit. I’m naturally a very social person and love surrounding myself with friends. Not being able to have any of that this year and being stuck at home by myself has been pretty detrimental.

What would you like BU to know about your experience this semester?

Sonja Caballero: My experience this semester has been good, but I do worry about the cases currently rising. I think in-person classes don't need to happen, and students need to be encouraged not to hold large gatherings.

Abby Bonner: I guess I would want BU to just continue offering virtual events to allow students to still connect with one another. Also, I hope BU remains understanding of each individual’s choice regarding in person or remote learning.

Matthew Segalla: I think I’d want BU to know that, just like any semester, everyone’s experience isn’t universal. Everyone has always had a different college experience and different life than other students but it’s especially the case now. I do worry that because BU has been handling the pandemic so well and has kept it under control that they are a bit quick to forget about all the other ways that this crisis can affect their students and faculty. Grades are still going to fall, extensions on assignments may still be needed, students and faculty may need to stay home longer in order to feel safe, and the loneliness people feel from being isolated from their friends and families is very harrowing. I just want BU to know that right now, students are in need of grace and understanding. They need to feel unity and need to feel safe and cared for and BU is directly responsible for handling such issues and ensuring that their students feel supported in every way possible.

Julia Glicksman: Though this semester has been very odd and unlike anything we could have predicted, I believe it is going as smoothly as it could be. I do wish that at the beginning of the semester, my workload could have been lighter, because I was definitely slammed with the most work I have ever had during the first month of school, making it difficult to achieve a sense of comfort and relaxation during such a difficult time.

Alex Feldman: I think there has been trouble with the idea that professors think that this semester is easier than it actually is. More students are struggling with motivation and mental health because we don’t have the ability to have a “normal life”.

Talking to fellow students really made me realize how many feelings we all have in common this semester, from loneliness to workload stress. I also appreciated being able to hear how our experiences all differ depending on our individual circumstances. In such a unique situation and semester, I think it’s more important than ever to reach out to people both in and out of your community. Maybe take the opportunity today to reach out to someone new and ask them how they’re doing. I can bet you they’ll appreciate it.