[Lost 2 Years] Professors and Classmates on Monitor... MT and Festivals Turn to Dust

Lectures and Group Projects Also Online
Many Freshmen Unfamiliar with Campus Geography
"Is This Really a University Class? Feeling Doubtful"
Mobile Coupons Instead of Meal Invitations
Worries Over Grade Inflation and Employment Disadvantages
Class of 2022 Also Concerned as 'Corona Cohort'

#Kim Hee-young (20, pseudonym), who entered a four-year university in Seoul this year, finished her first year of college life without festivals or MT (Membership Training). Having attended elementary, middle, and high school in the same area, Kim's big wish was to interact with friends from different regions and majors at university. Active in her department's student council, Kim participated in video conferences throughout the year. She said, "Going to MT and festivals was my biggest dream, so it's disappointing that I couldn't have a typical college life. Since lectures and group projects were all online, I sometimes questioned whether this was really a university class. Honestly, I also felt that the tuition was a waste."

#Lee Ye-jin (22, pseudonym), who enrolled in 2020, does not have many memories of studying in the library over the past two years. Having retaken the college entrance exam while enrolled (ban-su), Lee used to leave home early at dawn during exam periods before COVID-19 to reserve a spot, but since last year, she studied for exams at home or in cafes. The campus was so empty that even getting meals became difficult. Lee said, "The library had fewer available seats and shorter operating hours, so I couldn't go often, and I borrowed necessary books from the electronic library." Not only lectures but also exams were all conducted remotely. Lee had to set up two webcams?one to monitor eye movements and the other to show her desk and hands?to prove she was not cheating.

For the classes of 2020 and 2021, the campus exists but is an unfamiliar space. With remote classes continuing, they did not even have time to learn the campus layout. Group projects and exams were all online. Even in the new semester, filling diaries with 'bap-yak' (meal appointments) with seniors and juniors became impossible, and expressing feelings through mobile gift certificates became the norm.

For university students in the COVID era, KakaoTalk, Zoom, and Webex are more familiar spaces than student lounges, club rooms, or classrooms. This is because classes, group projects, student council, clubs, and academic society meetings are all handled remotely. Events for freshmen before admission, such as 'saeteo' (orientation), and festivals held in spring and fall have become scenes only seen in dramas.

Lost Two Years, Awkward Campus

For the classes of 2020 and 2021, last year and this year are the 'lost two years.' Lee, who became a 2020 student after retaking the exam, said, "All student council and department events violated social distancing or administrative orders, so we couldn't gather freely. I came to the new school expecting the excitement I felt as a 2019 student, but it was very disappointing not to enjoy MT or festivals because of COVID." Lee lamented, "I couldn't attend face-to-face discussion classes, and meetings and academic festival events were all on KakaoTalk or video conferences." Except for face-to-face exams, gathering in the same place with classmates and seniors or juniors was impossible.

Kim, a 2021 student, said, "The professor said that if face-to-face classes were impossible, at least exams must be held in person, so I saw my classmates' faces then." She added, "Some seniors sent mobile gift certificates congratulating us on admission, and later we planned 'bap-yak' to build friendships."

The gap was also significant for those who experienced university life before COVID-19. Jeong (class of 2018), who transferred from a university in Busan to one in Seoul, said, "Even transfer students didn't know who their seniors or juniors were, and some never attended a single class on campus before graduating. I transferred thinking there would be many opportunities for external activities in Seoul, but many activities disappeared or shifted online, which is regrettable."

Bae, who graduated this year from a two-year college in Daegu, said, "I did not attend the graduation ceremony. No one around me was going, and I felt uneasy because of COVID. The only group photo taken during the semester shows everyone wearing masks, so it would be hard to recognize anyone even from outside."

Professor Yoon Sung-ok of the Department of Visual Media at Kyonggi University said, "University is not just about learning knowledge but also about experiencing a small society through relationships with professors and seniors and juniors. Without these opportunities, students feel isolated. University lectures differ from online lectures taken as exam preparation, so I worry about students who have not experienced them."

Grade Inflation... What About Differentiation?

With the increase in pass/fail grading due to remote classes, students' grades have generally risen, but many worry that 'grade inflation' might disadvantage them in employment. Lee, a 2020 student, said, "I think I benefited from pass/fail grading. I feel good about getting good grades, but I wonder how much differentiation grades will have during job hunting."

Jeong, a senior in 2024 from the class of 2018, said, "In the first semester after switching to pass/fail grading, grades were given generously but seem to be decreasing gradually. It's definitely easier to get good grades now, and a 4.0 GPA is very common. Since my major values skills and project experience more than grades, I am focusing on improving those."

According to the Ministry of Education's analysis of the 'April 2021 University Information Disclosure,' the proportion of enrolled students who earned a B grade or higher last year was 87.5%, an increase of 15.8 percentage points compared to 2019 before COVID-19. This is due to the increased adoption of pass/fail grading as remote classes became widespread. Seoul National University also recommended pass/fail grading for courses using a grading system starting last year and allowed switching to S/U grading (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) if all professors and students agreed. Some professors insist on relative grading considering academic atmosphere. Kim said, "The professor said academic enthusiasm dropped in remote classes, so only major courses were graded relatively."

Will the Class of 2022 Also Be a 'COVID Class'?

It is uncertain whether universities can return to pre-COVID-19 conditions next year. Although face-to-face classes for experiments, practicals, and small lectures were allowed from the second semester, most universities operated mainly remote classes. There are predictions that a full return to face-to-face classes from the new semester in 2022, as per the Ministry of Education's policy, will be impossible.

Prospective university students who took this year's college entrance exam and are waiting to enter campus worry about inheriting the 'COVID class' label. Jang, a prospective 2022 student, said, "I attended remote classes throughout my two years of high school, and if I have to take remote classes after entering university, it would be very upsetting."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.