[Report] "It's nice to study with friends" University campuses facing 'in-person lectures'

Seoul National University, Soongsil University, and Other Campuses Expand In-Person Classes
"Desire for Communication Through Face-to-Face Classes in the With-Corona Era," "Lack of Opinion Gathering... Regret Over Notification-Style Decision"
Ministry of Education: "Will Continue to Promote Additional School Attendance Expansion and Normalization of Educational Activities"

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Seoul National University students and staff are walking along the promenade in front of the Business Administration Building. Photo by Kim Seohyun ssn3592@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] "It's so nice to meet my friends after a long time."

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Seoul National University campus in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, was bustling with students visiting the school. A, a geography major student, met with B, a classmate, on the walking path in front of the Business School building after attending their first in-person class of the semester, and they strolled around the campus while drinking coffee. This was time with friends that they couldn't experience during the remote classes amid the COVID-19 spread.

A said, "It felt really good to gather with friends I hadn't seen for a long time and attend classes together. Considering the high vaccination rate and the transition to With-Corona, I don't think in-person classes will be a big problem." B also said, "Honestly, remote lectures are convenient to attend, but many students turn off their cameras, and I felt there was a big difference in concentration."

Recently, in-person lectures have been expanding, starting with Seoul National University, Soongsil University, and Sungkyunkwan University. Seoul National University expanded in-person lectures to include theoretical classes starting from the 18th. Soongsil University has also been conducting in-person lectures under professors' discretion for all departments since the 6th.

Besides schools that switched some classes to in-person early on, several other universities have announced plans to increase the proportion of in-person classes. Hankuk University of Foreign Studies plans to conduct all classes with 40 or fewer students in person starting November 1. Sogang University, which had conducted all classes fully remotely, will allow some experimental, practical, and physical education classes to be held in person after the midterm exam period of the second semester this year.

Students who heard about the in-person lecture plans earlier expressed opinions such as "I think it's still too early to hold in-person classes while the number of confirmed cases hasn't decreased yet," and "I look forward to the quality class atmosphere created through direct communication with professors."

Students walking quickly toward the building after getting off the city bus traveling inside Seoul National University. Photo by Kim Seohyun ssn3592@

The Seoul National University students met that day generally welcomed the in-person lectures. C, a Western art major student, met in front of the long uphill path leading to the Art College practice building, said, "My department, being part of the College of Arts, has many practical classes, so we have been conducting in-person classes since the first semester." He added, "I take other liberal arts classes remotely, but I definitely feel much closer to friends I met through in-person classes. I'm on my way now to meet friends to work on a practice assignment together."

However, as in-person lectures expanded, students living in provinces faced difficulties securing accommodation. As the atmosphere for in-person classes spread recently, posts such as "Looking for a studio near Seoul National University entrance" and "Taking over one-room apartments near Sinlim and Sinchon universities" were posted one after another on Naver's student housing community cafe.

C said, "Some friends take the KTX train to Seoul for every class. They sometimes book temporary accommodation the night before to attend in-person lectures." He continued, "Some professors install cameras in classrooms at their discretion to allow students living far away to participate remotely. But since it's at the professor's discretion, many friends don't receive such accommodations."

In response to this situation, Seoul National University has taken measures to allow provincial students to stay in dormitories or other on-campus facilities or rent one-room apartments near the school without paying a deposit.

Meanwhile, there are also opinions that Seoul National University's transition to in-person lectures was regrettable. D, an English education major student at Seoul National University, said, "It's good that we can see many friends through in-person lectures, but it's disappointing that the school suddenly announced in-person classes despite previously notifying that classes would be remote if the social distancing level remained at level 4."

Students walking together while talking in an open space in front of Soongsil University Student Union Building. Photo by Seohyun Kim ssn3592@

At Soongsil University campus in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, where exams were underway, students were seen rushing to enter classrooms on time for their exams, while others gathered in the central flowerbed area to rest.

Soongsil University students expressed dissatisfaction with the full-scale start of in-person classes without sufficient consensus among students and without adequate quarantine measures. E, president of the law student council, met in front of the student union building, said, "I think implementing in-person lectures is the right direction because it improves the quality of lectures. However, the process of implementing in-person lectures at Soongsil University has many shortcomings. Students' opinions were not sufficiently gathered, and only some professors' opinions were reflected, so in-person lectures started without adequate preparation."

F, a social welfare major student passing through the central flowerbed on the way to the central library, said, "I think quarantine procedures are the most important for smooth in-person classes. But I felt Soongsil University's quarantine system was weak. The PCR test and vaccination certification stickers can be easily forged, allowing unauthorized access." Soongsil University requires students to submit PCR test results or vaccination completion certificates every two weeks to strengthen campus quarantine. Students who complete certification receive a sticker as proof.

On the afternoon of the 7th, students are attending the 'Immersive Game Content Track' class at the Advanced PC Lab in the Electronics Building of Soongsil University, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

There were also opinions in favor of in-person classes. G, a political science and diplomacy major at Soongsil University, said, "In-person classes are appropriate for major courses where concentration is expected to improve. Communication with professors is better, so it feels like attending proper classes compared to before." He explained, "The fact that offline classes are simultaneously streamed online and that a PCR testing center is set up on campus eased concerns about in-person classes."

H, an electrical engineering major at Soongsil University, coming down the stairs after a major experiment class, also said, "In-person lectures basically help improve concentration better. I think in-person interaction among students and professors helps us grow more before entering society."

He added, "However, considering that anonymous responses can be collected from students during remote lectures, I felt that remote classes might encourage active participation without burdening students."

Meanwhile, the government plans to maintain the policy of expanding in-person lectures. Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, said on the afternoon of the 12th at the Government Sejong Complex regarding plans to expand school attendance, "In line with the national phased recovery to daily life, we will review additional attendance expansion centered on the metropolitan area, normalization of educational activities, the content and level of educational recovery, and the timing of application." She added, "We will consult with quarantine authorities, education offices, and gather opinions from teachers and parents."