Settling into campus has taken some adjusting, but students say it's welcome after years of pandemic learning
CBC
Postsecondary students have been back in class for about two months, and for many adjusting to the so-called "new normal" has come with a bit of a learning curve.
Maricor Ballaret is in her second year at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont. and works to engage with students about wellness through her role with the school's student union.
At this stage in the school year, being back to in-person learning is making a big difference, especially for international students like herself, she said.
Ballaret said she had concerns and nerves heading back to in-person learning in September, but so far the first two months of the school year have been positive.
"Having face-to-face classes ... confirms that now I'm here in Canada, I'm here in Thunder Bay," Ballaret said. "Now at least we feel like we're part of the college community now, as we're back face to face."
New challenges for students have surfaced as they settle into in-person learning routines, such as navigating city transit schedules, she said.
For the student union at Confederation College, there's also been some adjusting to do when it comes to meeting students where they're at, and engaging with them now that they're back on campus, Ballaret said.
"I think the great challenge for me is how to come up with those activities, like how to listen to the concerns of students, make them aware that the student union is there for them," she said.
Across the city, at Lakehead University, Griffen Fox said readjusting schedules has been the biggest challenge, especially as a varsity athlete.
"It's been an adjustment to manage our time that way, just with how busy we are with our schedule … but it's kind of nice to be busy and hold yourself accountable that way," said Fox, who plays on the Lakehead Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay.
For Fox, being back to in-person learning after a year of all online courses has been a welcome change, especially as someone who is new to the city.
"It can be a strain on mental health," he said about online learning. "To just be inside all the time and not be able to socialize, but it was really nice to have 28 or 30 teammates to rely on all the time and hang out with and just be around," he said, adding that the university's athletic department launched a campaign this year to help students focus on wellness.
Across Canada, studies suggest students' mental health has deteriorated in the last two years, as isolation and a global health crisis took a toll on everyone's ability to cope.
Sixty one per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 24 say their mental health has declined since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
A national Jewish advocacy organization is taking legal action against Manitoba's medical regulator over a complaint it made last year alleging a prominent doctor made antisemitic comments on social media.
A cat that went missing in a remote area of northeastern B.C. is finally back home with its family in Oklahoma, five months later.
It wasn’t clear trolleys would be a hit in Medicine Hat, but the Sunshine Trolley has wound its way into Hatters’ hearts.
More than 200 volunteers and politicians gathered in Etobicoke Saturday for the Daily Bread Food Bank’s holiday sort.
The rising cost-of-living has already made supporting a family difficult this year. But, the holidays can make staying on budget that much harder.
Strong winds across the Maritimes left thousands of N.B. Power customers without electricity on Saturday afternoon — and it could be days before all customers have their power restored.
Toronto police say they located a body inside a downtown Toronto home Saturday.
Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge is responding to public outcry against his government’s policy changes for non-permanent residents by making a plea to the federal government.
A man in Saskatoon is in hospital after being shot by police as officers executed a warrant late Friday night.
RCMP say a man who was reported missing near Key First Nation has been found deceased.
Christy Morin says life was never the same in Alberta Avenue after the fires began.
It's small things, like a cigarette or a pair of clean socks, Rachel Montour says, that can go a long way to make you feel more human when you’re out on the street.
Several dozen members of Windsor's Chaldean community and its supporters celebrated in the cold at the corner of Marentette Avenue and Wyandotte Street East Friday, as city officials gave a secondary name to the section of Marentette between Wyandotte and Tuscarora Street: Chaldean Way.