CORONAVIRUS - CYPRIOTS RETHINK STUDYING IN ENGLAND

Cyprus Mail 8 June 2020

Come September a packed lecture hall will be an unlikely sight

Online lectures, socially distanced living and ‘virtual’ freshers’ week. Why would a Cypriot student want to study in England this year?

By Annette Chrysostomou

With England still in the grip of the coronavirus and talk of universities holding lectures online to ensure social distancing come September, Cypriot students and parents are wondering whether handing over 9,000 pounds a year in fees for a half-baked university experience is worth the money.

Most English universities have not announced exactly what they will do for the autumn 2020 term: teach online, use a blended approach, or offer face-to-face classes, keeping their options open – and students and parents confused.

Socially, things could be grim. One report this week said they are considering making students live in a “bubble” with only people from the same courses to limit social mixing when campuses reopen in the autumn.

Students arriving at university for the first time may also well find that the long-awaited freshers’ week – the massive, rowdy meet and greet sessions for new students – will be hugely scaled down and/or virtual events.

Fewer large-scale lectures and one-way systems may be imposed across campuses in a bid to keep them safe. The University of Cambridge has said all “face-to-face lectures” will be moved online during the 2020-21 academic year.

It’s no wonder then that a recent UK poll showed that 71 per cent of applicants would support moving the start of their first year of university to a later time if it meant they could have more face-to-face teaching rather than online lessons.

Amidst this uncertainty, what will Cypriots do?

“People are very confused, there has been no central decision. Some are looking elsewhere, such as to the Netherlands,” career counsellor Arlette Shohmelian said. “Those who already got accepted want to go but the others might wait until January. I would advise asking the university if they can start online from Cyprus for the first semester and go in January. There is also the possibility to be deferred for a year. Parents are really afraid.”

The lively, often rowdy Freshers’ Week events for first years will be massively scaled down

She raised other issue too. Why should students pay rent in advance for accommodation if they cannot go if there is another outbreak in September and October?

In the absence of a unified approach, Ucas, the centralised service used by students to apply to UK universities, has also advised those who want to defer their place to contact their chosen university themselves to discuss if a deferral is possible.

Another career advisor, Stella Luizinho from the International School of Paphos, stressed that the situation will have to become clearer for people to make informed decisions.

“If we had this conversation in a month or two it might be very different,” she commented. “I would advise students not to change university for now. Most of the universities are in direct contact with the students. If all looks positive, they might go as planned and perhaps have online lessons during the first semester.”

She said some students are now looking at educational opportunities in Cyprus, while others are talking of taking a gap year.

“It is a very difficult decision. But September is a long way away and the situation might change.”

Galina Yaneva-Constantinides, senior admissions counselor at the University of Nicosia, confirmed there is more interest than before in the private university.

“There is more interest, especially from private schools, from where traditionally many graduates go to UK universities,” she said. “They are now looking for opportunities in Cyprus. The volume is gradually increasing. It is a bit early to say, there is still the exam period and people concentrate on exams and make decisions later on.”

The situation is slightly different at public schools, said Lefkos Demosthenous, a counsellor who works at a Nicosia lyceum. He explained that state school students often have a UK university as a back up only, while their first choice is the University of Cyprus or a Greek university.

He believes the majority does not think of the coronavirus as a main reason to make a choice, but the fees are.

Would they mind being taught online?

“This would not be a negative point, it would only be for some months, and not last forever, and they got used to it now from high school.”

Eleni Prodromou, 18, who plans to go to Sussex University in the autumn doesn’t seem troubled. She has been told by the university that there will be face-to-face classes by September, not online lessons. She said she was relieved because online lessons would not an adequate substitute if they lasted for more than a semester. She said she was not worried about there being fewer social events.

“I understand there have to be some measures.”

All agree the parents are the ones most worried. A mother who had to make the choice where her daughter would start her studies this year did not hesitate:

“She will stay here. I am not sending my 18-year-old to the UK not knowing how they will handle it and with the health system not working fully at the moment. I don’t know if the universities are up to the task of digitalisation. It is a commitment for three years in times of instability.”