California students and educators share their distance learning experiences

California students and educators share their distance learning experiences

Johanna Refuerzo, a student at UC Irvine, said there were rumors about her university closing down for a while. “My initial reaction was confusion,” she told The Epoch Times via email. She went from studying for finals one day to calling her mom and saying she had to move back home. All of her finals had been canceled. Refuerzo felt that being home during the epidemic was the safest and most comfortable situation to be in. “A part of me was still sad that I had to leave my first year of university,” she said. Refuerzo said her motivation to do well in school has diminished with the “pass/no pass” grading option, as she feels the pressure has become “just get the minimum to pass.” Watching lectures through a screen isn’t nearly as engaging as being in real-life classrooms, she said.