The Online Class of 2024

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By Caroline Dehn, EIC of Academics

Just like politicians and mainstream media outlets say, we are living in unprecedented times—with the coronavirus pandemic, a new movement for racial equity, and climate emergencies igniting uncertainty across the world. As a result, us college students have a lot on our plates without a blueprint guiding us in the right direction. Thankfully, those of us who have experienced GW with some normalcy have planted roots and established our place as students and community members in Foggy Bottom. The class of 2024, however, began GW classes online facing a much different college experience.

Due to school shutdowns amid the pandemic, much of the current Freshman class missed major milestones such as prom, senior privileges and graduation, making the start of online college another unexpected roadblock.

“The hardest thing was the transition, I really had no idea how to do online classes so figuring out how to get myself ready for college classes and figuring out how to use new software was difficult,” said Freshman Caroline Dejoy.

No matter the year, the transition from high school to college comes with its own set of challenges, and this year brings even more added stressors.

“The hardest thing about starting college online is probably trying to stay motivated while learning from home. I was really looking forward to having more independence, meeting new people, and being in an academic environment where I would have access to more resources and opportunities to explore my interests,” expressed Freshman Peri Wivell.

Without the proper physical space to finish assignments and social interaction with their peers, focusing on schoolwork is hard for most students, especially for Freshmen who “don’t know that many people in {their} classes,” noted freshman Allie Worchel.

Despite these challenges, the class of 2024 has become creative in finding ways to connect with one another at home, including making “bigger GroupMes as well as some more specialized chats,” said DeJoy.

Social media has proven to be helpful as a tool in meeting fellow classmates.

Wivell’s professor even encouraged first-year students to exchange contact information and reach out to classmates to collaborate on assignments. Having a familiar face in online classes can make all the difference—giving the freshmen a chance to feel included in the GW community.

“GW has done a good job of putting us in touch with people in our area. A couple of weeks ago we had a regional event and it was really nice to connect with everyone,” Worchell stated on a positive note.

Wivell explained that, “the virtual fall org fair was a success in the sense that people could start to get more involved and meet others with shared interests. Although there’s no way for a virtual event to replicate an in-person experience, it was nice to see that there are still opportunities to get involved in the GW community, even though we will have to do things differently compared to years past.”

With the usual first-time college student stresses coupled with the craziness of our current world, the GW Freshman class has lots to navigate. However, they are eager to learn and are exploring a wide variety of ways to cope with a virtual first semester. Good luck GW class of 2024—we can’t wait to see you on campus.

No matter the year, the transition from high school to college comes with its own set of challenges, and this year brings even more added stressors.

Social media has proven to be helpful as a tool in meeting fellow classmates.