Freshman Regan Toole talks about campus life during COVID-19
Freshmen are entering college in a unique environment, and that includes students in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois. The AHS communications staff spoke with new AHS students about campus life, why they decided to come to campus—or stay home—and how COVID-19 is changing their expectations. Today, we speak with Regan Toole, who is in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health.
Q: Are you on campus?
A: I am on campus this fall, and I am actually a Chick Evans Scholar. Meaning that I am attending U of I on a full tuition-and-room scholarship. I am also currently staying in the Evans’ chapter house.
Q: What made you decide to be on campus?
A: I decided to stay on campus because I wanted to get as much of the freshman experience as possible. I wanted to get to know other people and I wanted to familiarize myself with the campus. The campus is so beautiful, especially now that the weather is starting to cool down. I love taking walks around campus, but I still haven’t explored the whole thing because it so big! But one day I will.
Q: What challenges are you discovering with remote classes?
A: As for classes, some challenges for me are that I am still adjusting to college classes being online and each of them using different platforms. At my high school we used Google Classroom for everything, which was very convenient. Classes back then were also a lot easier because my grades could only improve from what they were before COVID-19. Since I had an "A" in all of my classes I couldn’t get anything lower, as long as I did all of my work. I also do not have any in-person classes this semester and it can be hard for me to be on my computer all day. However, I try to fit in breaks to walk around and socialize with people. Also, at first it was hard to find where the due dates and assignment where for some of my class, but after getting used to the websites it has gotten easier to access everything.
Q: Tell me what you think about the COVID testing process. Has it been easy to find a testing site?
A: I am so grateful that U of I has its testing process because it makes me feel a lot safer being on campus. Altering hearing about all of the cases at Notre Dame and (North Carolina), it is very reassuring to know what is actually going on at our campus. There is also a testing center right next to my house and it is super easy and quick for me to get tested. I am still very conscious about COVID-19 and I always make sure to wear my mask and wash my hands frequently. However, I am still really glad to see lot of other people wearing their face masks around campus and it seems that most people understand the importance of them.
Q: Have you encountered any of the Wellness Safety Ambassadors? What has that experience been like?
A: The Wellness Safety Ambassadors are a great addition to campus as well. I think they do a great job of promoting safety for COVID-19 on campus. I even got an additional care package from them and I absolutely love the spray hand sanitizer! Overall, I am very happy and fortunate to be on campus this fall. I am very excited to see what my future holds here at U of I. I-L-L!