Start of new school year brings different paths for recent Winnipeg high school graduates

As the start of a new school year nears, it brings a lot of uncertainty for many students.

But those who just graduated high school last year may be facing the most changes both to the end of their graduation year and what would traditionally be the start of their first year of university.

For those who have decided to pursue university or college, their first-year experience is going to look quite different.

“It’s all happening so quick,” Anika Heidinger said. “We just had orientation.”

The pandemic has prompted Manitoba post-secondary institutions to move classes and events online, which includes all the regular start-of-the-year activities for new students.

“They’re doing a few things at the University of Winnipeg,” Heidinger said. “They are doing some things online, there’s giveaways.”

For nearly five decades, the Great Rock Climb competition at the University of Winnipeg brought out hundreds of students. That event will not happen this year.

The University of Winnipeg Students’ Association is holding its annual Roll Call celebration online this year.

Instead of the usual events, students will take part in seminars online, meeting classmates in livestream chat rooms and entering back-to-school contests on social media. They can head to the university for a curbside swag bag pickup.

3:48 Returning to university during a pandemic

On top of that, the majority of classes will all be taught through remote learning, which some students are looking forward to.

“It was nice to have the end of my final (high school) year as remote learning cause I got a taste of it… We got to experiment and get out all those knots,” Heidinger said.

For other recent graduates, the thought of a full year of remote learning at university wasn’t appealing.

“When we (had) these conversations at the beginning of (last) year, everyone was going to university and everyone was applying for direct entry,” recent high school graduate Tuva Bergstrom said.

She said once the pandemic hit, it changed many students’ minds.

“Now a majority of my friends are not going and are going to wait,” she said.

Bergstrom, like many other students, was forced to move to distance learning education during the final months of her graduation year. She said it was that time that helped shape her decision to not go to university right away.

“I personally would benefit more to going to classes in person,” Bergstrom said. “So that’s why I’m waiting because I feel like I just learn better in that classroom atmosphere and I feel online classes and I just don’t mix that well.”

Bergstrom said the end of her Grade 12 year was difficult and she and her friends missed out on some important moments.

“It was weird this past Grade 12 year, missing out on the grad dinner we fundraised for and the dance and the proper convocation,” she said. “It was unfortunate.”

Bergstrom is using the year off school to focus on her music and getting a job.