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Introduction
Introduction
Ariel’s Narrative
As a social butterfly, when Ariel, a traditional college-aged, white female, is studying or spending some of her free time on campus, she loves to be where all of the action is. She wants to be among the flow of activity – seated at her own table – but close enough to catch the smiles and bits of conversation as students, staff, and faculty pass through the space. A part-time student, she has just completed a semester of coursework but is unsure if she will be back for another semester. She is interested in working in the dental field, yet being admitted in the dental hygiene program at Midwestern is very competitive. She is looking at a dental assistant program right now - which is not at Midwestern. Not new to Midwestern, Ariel took a few classes during her senior year of high school, through a post-secondary program allowing high school students to receive college credit. She only took two classes then and they were right by the front doors, so she did not explore the campus. Since graduating from high school during Spring 2020 - she is a “Covid graduate” - Ariel went to two different residential state universities. After taking a semester off, she just finished her first semester back at Midwestern. It is close to home and is more affordable.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Ariel’s educational experience. It hit during her senior year of high school, necessitating leaving the physical campus and learning from home. Graduation was also done virtually, so she was not able to have a typical graduation ceremony. During her first year of college, everything was locked down. For her, it was hard to connect to people while wearing a mask. Describing her hearing as “horrible,” masks made communicating with people challenging. Not being able to read people’s expressions, Ariel feared people were mad at her. Going to college continues to be one of her biggest stressors in life.
Middle of everything
Middle of everything
By May, the end of Ariel’s first semester, it was finally warm enough to spend time outside at one of her favorite spots on campus. It is a centrally located outdoor courtyard, and she feels like she is in the “middle of everything.” A perfect little break spot, it is also a good place to study or just hang out with other students.
Being among people
Being among people
Wanting to study in a public area that is open and has a lot of natural light, there is a space on the second floor of campus, within the College Service area, where Ariel can have the privacy of sitting at her own table, yet feel as though she is still among people. Unless she needs to really focus on her homework, she enjoys being among people. Her last year of high school and her first year of college were during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, where everyone wore a face mask. Times were tough for her then – not being able to read people’s expressions. Now, with most people no longer wearing a face mask, she really appreciates seeing the passing smiles and hearing the occasional “hey’s.” In this second floor, centrally located area of open space, open seating, open hallway, she does not feel claustrophobic, does not feel smothered and she feels less stressed.
Cozy environment
Cozy environment
Ariel wishes she would have taken greater advantage of the cozy environment of the Campus Coffee Shop. When there, she feels like she is in a non-school environment – not on campus but at a real coffee shop. She liked being at the coffee shop because its environment felt calm to her - as if she wasn’t on campus.
Where was this the entire semester?
Where was this the entire semester?
Not until two weeks left of the school year did Ariel discover the study nooks while she was randomly exploring campus. Although located within the College Services area, which is centrally located, she wondered, “Where was this the entire semester?” They are a little more closed off than the open seating, which would help with her focusing, however, she would not feel totally alone. She does concede that it does seem a little too big for working individually so it would probably be better for group projects.
Photo by Prosperity (Ariel's photo was accidentally deleted)
Open space, open seating, open conversations
Open space, open seating, open conversations
Coming into the Intro to Art classroom, Ariel knew that it would be fun. Unlike other classes that are more nerve wracking, Ariel was never scared to raise her hand. The open space, open seating, and open conversations helped her to feel loved. School is one of her big stressors and she believes that the open space of this classroom helps her not feel stressed out. Stating that “a dark, closed off room isn’t the ideal,” all of the natural light on campus feels as though you are getting your vitamin D.
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