New school year, same pandemic: Back to school looms for B.C.’s post-seondary students

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — For the second year in a row, B.C.’s post-secondary students are preparing to return to school during a pandemic, with classes resuming this coming week.

Sarah Azad Manjiri is a second-year UBC student, but come Tuesday, it will be her first year of learning in person.

“Now I feel like a real university student, my first year was like a warm-up,” she said. “It felt like one long orientation, it didn’t feel like a really good experience but now that I’m here, I feel like now’s the time to really settle into the next chapter.”

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Announced last week, UBC will require rapid COVID-19 testing for all unvaccinated students, faculty and staff who do not provide proof of vaccination.

She says she’s confident about the COVID protocols the university has set up, but said she is still feeling some anxiety.

“I’m definitely a little bit nervous about it, only because I have grown accustomed to only seeing my immediate family and my coworkers, but now I’m going to be sitting in classrooms with 300 students every hour,” she said.

Manjiri says UBC has been sending regular emails and health-related bulletins, so she feels like pandemic protocols are a priority.

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Arrthy Thayaparan did her first year of her UBC Master’s program completely online, and while she knows there are COVID protocols in place on campus, she’s excited, but also nervous about returning in-person.

“I am a little bit nervous coming back because I do live with my grandparents and my family, and we do have people who are a bit immunocompromised in my family,” she said. “So [I am] a bit nervous, but at the same time I feel like online schooling wasn’t great for my own mental health and my own sanity.”

She adds that for her program, getting the hands-on technical and practical skills in person will be a much more comprehensive learning experience.

Concerned about the health and safety of her vulnerable grandparents, Thayaparan won’t be taking public transit come next week.

“I’m still too scared to go on, especially when like it’s gonna be like super packed for school, so I’ll be driving to school in September as like, just a little personal safety measure,” she said.

RELATED: UBC, SFU to require rapid COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated students, staff

Meantime, drop-in immunization clinics will be set up on campuses in September.

“Getting vaccinated is the best way for students, staff and faculty to protect themselves and their entire campus community against COVID-19,” B.C.’s Minister for Advanced Education Skills and Training, Anne Kang, said in a statement.

“On-campus clinics will make it quick and easy for all people to protect themselves, and will allow them to participate in a full range of on-campus activities.”

Post-secondary clinic locations:

University of British Columbia
UBC Life Sciences Centre
2350 Health Sciences Mall
Sept. 8 – 9, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Simon Fraser University – Vancouver Campus
Harbour Centre
515 West Hastings St.
Teck Gallery/Atrium
Sept. 21, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Vancouver Community College – Downtown Campus
Atrium – 250 W Pender St.
Sept. 22, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Capilano University
Welcome Back Fair
2055 Purcell Way
Sept. 7 – 8, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University – Richmond Campus
Drop-in clinic
8771 Lansdowne Road
Sept. 8, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.