With the new school year a week away, university and college students are moving back to London, Ont., this week to get ready to start classes in person and move back into residence.
Last year, many post-secondary students had to adapt to a lot of changes, going away to school with multiple closures and pivots to online learning.
Both Western University and Fanshawe College have implemented vaccine policies for living on campus and attended classes in-person to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
With students being allowed back onto campus for in-person learning, Global News caught up with some new students and parents moving into residency to talk about what they are looking forward to.
For first-year nursing student Savanna Danayana, getting to start school is exciting, after postponing a year due to the pandemic.
Danayana said she is looking forward to making friends and starting to study to be a nurse.
For first-year engineering student Yathu Suthkren, after finishing his final year of high school online and not getting a graduation due to COVID, he is hoping for a relatively normal school year with a party or two.
As to what he is worried about: “Staying focused and getting stuff done on time, it’s a huge transition from high school so kind of weird,” he said.
For first-year engineering student, Farzeen Naveed, starting school is a mix of emotions.
“Honestly I am not sure, I guess I am looking forward to this new life — it’s going be very different from what I am used to, and I am excited about the courses because I am very interested in the engineering field,” Naveed said.
His mother Aliya Naveed, who was helping him move into residence, says she is “really happy” for him to start his studies.
Other parents like Richard Cos were also saying goodbye.
Cos, who was dropping his daughter Claire off to her first year in business, said he is not worried about his daughter starting school.
“We will miss her for sure, but she is not too far, and I think she will have a lot of fun,” Cos said.
As for COVID-19, Cos said he is hopeful that with everyone vaccinated, his daughter can have a normal year.
“We are really hoping we don’t have another lockdown in October, because it would be a shame to miss out.”