Last semester was a learning experience for students and professors alike. Attending school during a pandemic turned out to be as difficult as it sounds.

But between learning to teach remotely and students not participating in Zoom classes, professors had a particularly hard time.

But some professors have a better outlook on this semester.

Scot Humes’s classes will be similar to last semester with two groups that each have an in-person day and a virtual day.

Last semester, that was a new challenge. But this semester, Humes said he expects classes to go much more smoothly because everyone has a good idea of how things work.

“This semester, I only hope my students truly appreciate how much work has to be done to offer them as similar an experience during the pandemic as they would have in a more typical semester,” Humes said.

Veronika Humphries, an assistant professor in the College of Business and Social Sciences, also had to transition into hybrid classes.

She said overall attendance for her classes was lower than usual last semester, but that all the challenges last fall brought were just a good preparation for this spring. 

Students’ feedback helped her figure out what changes to make to her courses, and she said she’ll be trying to implement their suggestions this semester.

“I believe last semester provided the necessary experience to work alongside students for a more successful semester this time,” Humphries said. “The best is on the bayou, and I know for certain that we are all here for each other. I wish everyone nothing but the best this upcoming semester.”

According to Molly Hill, an instructor of curriculum and instruction, students in the School of Education had a unique set of challenges last fall.

She said it’s important for education students to get a lot of field experience to graduate.

The future educators usually spend a lot of time teaching in classrooms every day, but the pandemic made it difficult for students to get the amount of hours they need to graduate.

However, she said she’s more confident about the spring semester.

“We have made so many innovative accommodations to fit the needs of our students,” Hill said. “My hopes are that my students continue to take care of their mental health and well-being.”