As the pandemic continues, challenges arise that force individuals to make changes to their day-to-day lives. One of these ongoing challenges that many students are facing is reclaiming what used to be a normal set of communication skills. Rather than having face-to-face connections for classes, students are currently communicating through Zoom meetings, email, and other digital forms of communication. This leads to a very important question: How rusty will students be at face-to-face communication when they return to an in-person format of classes?
As we have surpassed a year of dealing with COVID-19 and all of the changes it has brought along with it, students may find themselves looking back on how they communicated then compared to now with varying levels of difference.
For Valnten Singh (senior, Business Management), the pandemic has brought significant change to the way and frequency she communicates with friends and family.
“Before the pandemic, my college time was when I was studying in classes or the library or working on group projects. Now that everything is remote, it is hard to manage time, so studying and calling friends and family has been difficult. It hasn’t been easy to communicate with friends like before,” explains Singh.
While there are many who share the same experience as Singh, others have found that the change has not been as impactful on their communication habits.
Naiomi Rodriguez (sophomore, Art) is a student who has found herself able to maintain the same level of communication despite the changes going on around her. “The pandemic hasn’t really changed the way I communicate with those who I care about. Even before the pandemic I rarely went outside and when I did, it was with my one friend or close family. I’m still able to communicate with others in the same way since I usually just text them,” she explains.
In addition to the changes in amount of communication that some students are experiencing, there is also potential for there to be changes in the quality of the communication that is taking place. Like any skill, face-to-face communication requires practice. While students often find themselves naturally practicing these skills in class and with family, this may no longer be the case with classes taking place online and with people spending less time together due to concerns over COVID-19.
“I stayed in quarantine for six months, and when I finally went out into social situations, I forgot how to start a conversation or keep one going,” explains Debany Antonio (sophomore, Art). “I text my friends a lot more, and we have been communicating more through text since we don’t see each other as often, but responding to a message isn’t the same as keeping a conversation going.”
Some students also discovered that the extra effort they put in to compensate for the increased difficulty of classes being remote has had an impact on their communication skills.
“I have been focusing on my studies where I have to constantly use academic appropriate language. Not having the same experiences with friends anymore means I do not end up using certain language in certain ways which kind of confuses which words are more appropriate in public due to English being my fourth language,” explains Singh.
While there are bound to be struggles as students continue to reclaim skills that they may be a bit rusty on, some students are finding themselves picking up right where they left off.
“I’ve been communicating more since the pandemic began,” explains Ariana Espinoza (sophomore, English). “I feel like my communication skills have increased because I have tried harder to use them. Even though we see each other less, there has still been video calling, which has let us communicate more than before.”
Some students may have an easier time than others when it comes to brushing up on their communication skills. However, it may be comforting to remember that while the first few in-person conversations may be awkward, everyone will be going through their own unique levels of regaining comfort. Whether it be in-person or by turning on a microphone and camera in the next class, students will be presented with many opportunities to reclaim the many communication skills they have developed as we move closer to the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.