Cerritos College announced that lecture classes are finally back on campus allowing students to physically go to college and attend their classes after a long pandemic.

As the pandemic slowly goes away, lecture classes being back on campus can help boost college students’ mental health, social skills and possibly provide a happier school life.

Due to the pandemic, college students were required to transition onto online classes where they were suffering from loneliness from the lack of physical interaction and the lack of in-person educational experience.

Students can finally begin to come out of their shells and feel more confident in asking questions, talking to classmates and answering questions instead of them hiding behind a computer screen.

For example, freshmen students who spent their first year of college through zoom can finally get to know the college campus and get the feel of actually attending college.

This is a sign of hope that life is slowly rising with normalcy and positivity. This is a chance for them to think positively and be on the lookout for what is ahead of their college experience.

Jasa Mendez, a psychology major, is taking an in-person course, Psych 220: Research Methods, and currently enjoys going on campus rather than staying at home.

“My mental health during the whole pandemic and with being online and all was pretty bad,” said Mendez, “However, now that we’re able to go back in person it’s been so refreshing. Just being on campus in general makes me more motivated to learn.”

Most students had a negative effect from the pandemic where everything was forced to go online. Students should take advantage of choosing their classes to be on campus to help boost their mental health.

“I really like my in-person class, it’s definitely way better than being at home on a screen,” said Mendez, “I prefer being in a learning environment rather than at home where I have many distractions.”

Staying away from at-home distractions could be another way of maintaining a good mental state of mind because students could feel overwhelmed with all the noise at home and could possibly prevent them from finishing tests, quizzes and assignments.

Mendez said that she agrees that having in-person classes can boost students’ mental health because some students who go to campus is their only outlet to be interactive with other students.

Some may not have a lot of social interaction in their homes which can be a little bit lonely, especially adding to having online classes at home. Students who go to campus can be freer and express themselves with other classmates which can help relieve stress.

Mendez said, “Having lecture classes be in-person is great because not only is it great for your grades, but also your physical and mental health. It gives them a place where they can relax and focus solely on their education.”

“I think it’s something I took for granted before the pandemic. I never realized how much I would miss being able to sit in a classroom, listen to my professor and being able to ask many questions without distractions,” said Mendez.

Lecture classes being back on campus does create a positive change and path for students because it motivates them and pushes them to finish their semester strong.