Quarantine Schooling in North Fulton
By Rachael Jones
April 2020
University of Georgia students never thought the coronavirus would affect them to the extent that it has. On March 2, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported Georgia’s first coronavirus case in Fulton County, and by March 19, the University System of Georgia issued a transition to online school for the remainder of the semester. Lectures, advising appointments, office hours and tests have been moved completely online, oftentimes leaving students to create new schedules for themselves. Students returning home to North Fulton County are now struggling to adapt to the transition to online schoolwork.
Sophomore Julia Bixler said the biggest obstacle to online school since moving back home to Alpharetta is finding a quiet space to do homework. As cities like Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Roswell continue to buckle down under Governor Brian Kemp’s shelter-in-place order, Bixler’s four other family members are all home at the same time, similarly working from home and doing online school.
“It’s really hard to concentrate because I can’t go anywhere to do homework. There’s no quiet place in my house,” said Bixler.
Sophomore Rayyan Khan mentioned similar frustrations towards online schooling from her Johns Creek home. For her, the synchronous schedule of school and home life becomes difficult when she has to take a test and can hear her family eating dinner downstairs. She also discussed the difficulty she and many other college students are experiencing in terms of staying motivated to keep a consistent schedule.
“When we were in Athens, I had to wake up early to go to class, but now it’s way easier to sleep in,” said Khan.
Online classes have not necessarily increased in difficulty, rather in the amount of work required to succeed, according to junior Michelle Teeny.
“It’s not that it’s harder, it’s just so much more busy work,” said Teeny. Teeny expressed frustration with her classes for switching from final exams to final projects that require extra busy work at a time that students are already struggling to find the motivation to stay on top of their school work.
Despite the dramatic shift in environment and routine, the coronavirus quarantine has allowed many college students to reconnect with their families and complete projects or pick up hobbies they otherwise would not have time to do. While Fulton County still has the highest number of coronavirus cases in Georgia, according to the New York Times, the entire community seems to have the same goal: stay at home for a few more weeks so life can get back to normal as quickly as possible.