USC-Beaufort students hoping for normal year

BEAUFORT, S.C. (WTOC) - For students at USCB, they’re not just looking forward to the first day of classes, but more specifically looking forward to the first day of what they’re hoping is a normal year with the college experience.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to pre-COVID times, back when things were fun and exciting. Not that it hasn’t been, but you know,” Hayden Brown, Senior said.

University leadership is hoping to be back to normal as well, and they know how their students are feeling.

“They’re excited to be back in a post COVID paradigm, in a post vaccine paradigm... they want to be back in classes, they want to be back on campus,” Provost & Exec. Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs Dr. Eric Skipper said.

He says 75% of classes will be in person, but many students have become accustomed to online course work so that will be accommodated as well.

“We do have increased demand for more flexibility from our students, they kind of expect that as they’ve been away and taking classes online.”

As the structure of classes has changed over the last few years, so have the on-campus guidelines. USCB will be following the newest CDC instructions and students say that’s a weight off their shoulders.

“Since our guidelines are very different it kind of allows students to not have that stress and just worry about college instead of worrying about getting sick,” Kaylee Aiken, Senior said.

With welcome week in full swing, many undergrads are ready for the semester to begin and those worries to go away.

“You always have to be a little bit cautious when it comes to stuff like this, but I am not anywhere near as nervous as I was last year.”

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