The start of the fall semester has always been my favorite. I can get back to a normal routine after summer trips out of town. This fall semester it’s especially true after everything that has happened with COVID-19.

But I’ve noticed other students have shared hesitancy about face-to-face classes on ULM’s student Facebook page, Student-to-Student at ULM. While I understand the hesitancy, it’s time to get back to normal life, just with extra precautions.

After we went online, last semester was a disaster for me. I couldn’t focus on classes because I was either worried about COVID-19 or I wanted to do fun home activities. I still made decent grades, but I struggled.

For many of my professors, I could see from their scattered emails that they were struggling too. The instructors would forget to put up assignments or the assignments they had planned for class could no longer be done.

In fact, according to Education Data, 63 percent of college students said the online instruction they received was inferior compared to in-person instruction in June.

COVID-19 has ruined events, plans and lives. But that doesn’t mean face-to-face school should be cancelled.

Some students learn better face-to-face. They understand the material with physical help from professors.

And let’s be honest, your professor knows the material you didn’t seem to be getting at the beginning of the semester isn’t all of a sudden clicking with you on your online tests. They know you’re cheating.

Around 60 percent of college faculty members said they noticed more academic dishonesty in online courses, according to Education Data.

However, face-to-face doesn’t have to be an option for everyone. If you don’t feel safe, take an online class. But face-to-face should still be an option for those who need a normal routine or learn better in person.

Some may argue that face-to-face isn’t entirely safe. While this may be true, ULM is creating precautions for face-to-face classes. They are socially distancing students, making everyone wear a mask in every building, providing hand sanitizer and cleaning every classroom once a class is finished.

Some students and professors may be worried about their loved ones getting sick who are at high risk. Losing a loved one to COVID is hard. Trust me, I’ve been through it.

If you feel unsafe about face-to-face classes or a loved one becoming sick, talk to your advisor and dean. Find out if there is a way to take the class online.

But we must strive to better our education. We must take the necessary precautions. We can be as safe as possible. We will be learning. We can focus. Face-to-face classes must happen for us to get the education we deserve.