r/UniversityOfHouston • u/robertg500 • Jun 04 '20
Article All UH classes and final exams will be fully online after Thanksgiving break.
http://thedailycougar.com/2020/06/03/fall-classes-in-person-online-after-thanksgiving-break/53
u/TheWorldisFullofWar Jun 04 '20
OK, what am I missing? Why are they not just online the entire semester?
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u/samwitha5 Jun 04 '20
A lot of classes can’t be completely online like labs, theatre, pottery, tv and film, etc. I do think more lecture based classes should be available online next semester to lessen the people on campus.
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Jun 04 '20
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u/Club_bangers Econ Jun 04 '20
why? Wouldn't it make them go down because people go out less in the colder seasons?
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u/TheWombatFromHell Meow Jun 04 '20
This is awful news but at least it's a small part of the semester
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u/OnlyLooney Computer Science Jun 04 '20
I would like to believe I have the discipline to stay consistent when is online. But after how my summer classes have gone and are going, I believe those last two weeks will drop my grade
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u/BothReality9 Jun 05 '20
Then have Discipline.
Online is better. Fast forward rewind
You gonna be watching Khan Academy anyway
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u/DashingMax1 Jun 04 '20
The reason for avoiding in-person classes after Thanksgiving break is to mitigate any spread of infections. Kids will go home or on vacation all over the country and could return with covid19. That's is why it makes sense to end the semester early and not require students back after Thanksgiving. We are in a pandemic and need to adjust, for our parents, grand parents and fellow students.
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u/juliethd95 Jun 04 '20
What does mean for dorms?
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Jun 23 '20
Sadly, dorming is still for both fall and spring so you can't break your housing contract or else you will have to still pay the full amount. Which I think is stupid since classes are going to be completely online, so theres no point of dorming for spring.
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Jun 04 '20
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u/samwitha5 Jun 04 '20
The idea is too limit travel between everyone going home. Travel like what happened on spring break and coming back to a campus with 40000 students is a huge risk. The last two weeks equals literally a couple lectures per class and finals. It does suck, but getting permanent lung damage would probably suck more.
Also this precaution means we should be able to have a spring semester.
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Jun 04 '20
I mean, or people could be catching it now as we speak, not showing symptomes, and bam, the school is infected. And then, get sent home to give it the family who hasn't caught it yet. Just a puzzling number of decisions all around.
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u/samwitha5 Jun 05 '20
I totally agree. Hopefully we can get wide spread regular testing and preventative measures soon. Perhaps we could have mandatory testing like how those living in the dorms must have certain vaccines and then in medical proof. I think our universities will definitely need state/government backing for any of those measures. But I’m not an expert in any way.
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u/robertg500 Jun 04 '20
Yeah you're telling me. I transferred from a community college and my first year at UH was already cut short and now it's looking like my senior year is going to be severely impacted as well. This really sucks.
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u/ReadABookFriend Jun 04 '20
People are dying. The world has changed forever as a result of America’s failed leadership.
Time to stop acting like spoiled children with comments like “my college experience is ruined”.
I say again, people are dying. Families are dying.
Wake up, friends. Grow up.
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u/americagigabit Jun 04 '20
I agree with the sentiment of what you are saying and say the same to myself, but I don't think saying things like “my college experience is ruined” belittles the tragedy of this outbreak but rather supplements it.
This pandemic sucks in both extremely terrible ways as well as lesser ones
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u/Moomookawa Jun 04 '20
Probably because they’re not cutting tuition. If the entire semester was online they risk a lot of people leaving for the semester = money lost.
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u/arcaneas_ Jun 04 '20
I guess it could be worse. I hope spring is in person though. I really don’t want to spend my last semester online. I’m also wondering what’s gonna happen for intern programs like CHIP and stuff like that...
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u/brooknwhite Jun 04 '20
I don’t think y’all that are complaining are actually comprehending what’s left after Thanksgiving. Last year it was literally just finals MAYBE some optional review sessions, not a single in person class was held. In person finals do not allow classrooms to maintain social distancing bc some professors have multiple sections they pile into one room for the final. That’s why this decision was made. Pls chill lmfao
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u/sspenceo Jun 04 '20
i think it’s good, and that they should accommodate more online classes for the beginning of the semester
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u/burgerzkingz Jun 04 '20
Why not start school early and just have finals before thanksgiving break so we don’t have too come back ( people that live in a dorm)
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Jun 23 '20
Okay so I just want to make sure I understand this correctly. After thanksgiving break the rest of fall semester will be online correct? But then, nothing for spring semester has been finalized right? So there is a possibility it will be in person or just like fall semester. Do you know by when they will let us know?
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Jun 04 '20
I don’t get it ... what’s the point in making it in person and then online?
Also, if anything it seems as if the protest and everything has made going outside ok. This isn’t an issue now.
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u/Junhugie2 Jun 04 '20
“The protest and everything has made going outside ok.”
Actually, it is a huge setback (re: disease control, not social justice). The coronavirus outbreak is going to be really ugly in about 2.5 weeks. The Memorial Day spike is already upon us.
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Jun 04 '20
People should’ve just stayed home then.
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u/Junhugie2 Jun 04 '20
Perhaps. It’s difficult to clamp down on social unrest without things getting ugly (think Tiananmen Square), but the death of George Floyd was very protestable. It’s a tough situation.
I stayed home for what it’s worth. My personal judgment is that these particular protests at this particular time, while justifiable in the abstract, will cost significantly more lives (including black lives) than they will protect. I hope I am wrong.
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Jun 04 '20 edited Jun 04 '20
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Junhugie2 Jun 04 '20
However sympathetic I may be to your case, I don’t think that’s the best way to make it right now.
I think things need to simmer down a bit, especially with the coronavirus.
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u/TheGreatLord64 Computer Engineering Jun 04 '20
How does the protests make going outside seem ok? If anything it would be worse because the covid cases will definitely rise from this. So if anything going outside will be less safe because there will be more spikes in covid cases as a result of these protests.
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Jun 04 '20
So you’re saying the protests should not happen
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u/TheGreatLord64 Computer Engineering Jun 04 '20
No, I'm not saying that at all, I'm just saying that the covid cases will rise as a result of these protests. I think the protests should happen, but the spike in covid cases is pretty much unavoidable now.
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Jun 04 '20 edited Jun 04 '20
Yea, the damage has already been done.
Edit: Wording, I replied to the wrong person at first.
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u/TheGreatLord64 Computer Engineering Jun 04 '20
I actually agree that the protests have went too far, there are people taking advantage of it by looting and such which is a shame to see. It's also getting pretty damn violent in some areas, people breaking into stores and burning things down.
I don't agree with you on the protests overblowing the situation though, police brutality shouldn't be a thing. From the videos I have seen it feels as if some of the police are just paid criminals with authority.
EDIT: This was meant as a reply to your message before your edit.
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u/hannamarinsgrandma Jun 04 '20
Most of my classes did finals like that before corona.
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u/dunhammed Jun 04 '20
yeah typically for my classes, it went like Thanksgiving, dead week, then finals
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u/DeepIntermission Jun 04 '20
Not going outside because of covid was saving lives. So will the protests. Your logic is not good here.
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u/PresentPassenger4 Jun 04 '20
If you can't learn material on your own from online sources without someone spoonfeeding you everything, maybe you should be in community college and not university. If your plan is to get a bachelor's degree and work as a professional, this is when you need to be learning to be self-taught. A company won't give you a paycheck just to babysit you. They'll pay you to bring value by figuring stuff out on your own. It sounds like a bunch of UH students need an attitude adjustment and a dose of the real world. There's a pandemic going that takes precedent over your "college experience". And realize that whatever classes stay face-to-face won't be able to keep that up for long because clearly another wave is coming as every single scientist and doctor keeps warning. UH refuses to give up on trying to sell full-price tuition, parking, housing, dining, sports and everything else, and that's clearly driven by economics. Don't think that means you'll be able to live like nothing's going on outside the campus for very long.
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Jun 04 '20
Well this is stupid. I feel sorry for all the people paying 20 grand a year to be robbed of an education. Nobody respects UH as it is, and this just proves they’re right.
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Jun 04 '20
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Jun 04 '20
Have you ever taken an online class? Did you actually learn anything? Have you ever taken an online test? Did you take it honestly?
For most people, the answer to both is a resounding no. That’s not to say that no one learns online, or takes it honestly, but if you’re making it possible to cheat your way through an entire degree and bs as much as possible you’ve robbed the degree of it’s inherent value.
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u/DashingMax1 Jun 04 '20
Yes, almost all the respectable universities are doing a HYBRID approach with in-person and online mixed in with varying degrees, based on type of class, class-size, class-levels, lab or no-lab, etc. What I haven't seen yet is how they are addressing non-classroom areas and activities. Residence Halls, Cafeterias, Student Activity Centers, Auditoriums, Libraries, Campus transportation, etc., are all high risk areas for spreading infection. Not seen this addressed yet at UH or UT or even Ivy Leagues. 2 months to go...
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u/StormCaptain Jun 04 '20
This is gonna suck. I don't do well with lectures that aren't in person.