Five Ways to Stay Safe at School This Fall

As a junior at Penn State University, I’ve had my fair share of Zoom classes. In fact, before coronavirus peaked in the United States, I was attending a Zoom class on national parks from their Beaver campus.

That same semester, I published a story for my campus’ newspaper, The Roar, titled “Students dislike Zoom classes.” Little did I know that the following spring, everyone would be attending Zoom university.

With fall semesters starting classes across the globe, college campuses are adapting to what we’ve adapted to since March: online instruction. Furthermore, policies were implemented for students to return back to school in a variety of different ways; one of them being in-person.

There are a few exceptions to receiving in-person instruction. Policies were implemented requiring students to wear face masks and social distance. Additionally, students are required to utilize technology to their own benefit and the benefit of others.

According to an article written by USA Today, while some students are required to fill out questionnaires before returning back to campus daily, other students are required to wear BioButtons that track health changes like body temperature, breathing rate, and heart rate. Additionally, BioButtons can locate other buttons, which is helpful in contact tracing individuals who may have contracted the virus.

Although Penn State has put in effective policies, we don’t have the technology to measure health patterns and track contact tracing. That’s why I’ve created a list of five ways students can stay healthy while attending in-person classes.

1. Always Carry a Bottle of Hand Sanitizer

Fortunately, my campus has multiple sanitizing booths located on every floor of every building. However, not everyone is as fortunate and has the same access to hand sanitizer as we do. Carrying around a bottle of hand sanitizer prevents germs from entering personal areas such as your car or your home. Sanitizing before you get into your car or enter your home minimizes your chances of spreading COVID to yourself and to the other people who live in your home.

2. Be Cognizant of Others

There may be instances where you need to talk with a group member or professor after class. However, no matter how close your relationship with that person is, you should always stay 6 feet apart and wear a face mask.

Symptoms of coronavirus don’t always show up right away, so assuming that you or the other person is healthy puts everyone at risk. By respecting the other person’s boundaries, you communicate to that person that you respect their health as much as you respect your own.

3. Utilize Google Presentations

As a corporate communications major, I still have to give presentations. If a professor requires you have a flash drive, then I recommend that you use it. However, minimizing the number of areas you touch on campus such as campus desktops will not only keep you safe, but will help keep others safe.

Additionally, the cleaning staff may be responsible for cleaning the areas students have been the most active. Keeping this in mind by minimizing the areas you touch will make their job, to ensure the safety of students and faculty, easier.

4. Wash your Hands

According to the CDC, hand sanitizer should be used after visiting someone who’s sick. Today, it’s hard to know who’s carrying symptoms of coronavirus as they don’t always show up right away. Hand sanitizers can get rid of active germs, but not harsh chemicals; pesticides; and certain lead.

Additionally, it’s not always effective if you don’t put enough on your hands. Washing your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds after coming home will ensure that your hands are clean enough to live comfortably within your home without worrying about spreading germs.

5. Clean off Your Technology After Coming Home

I almost always use my laptop during my Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. classes. After returning home, I have the tendency to touch my face and eat snacks while finishing the rest of my work. It’s important to wipe off your computer with Windex, Clorox Wipes, or some kind of anti-bacterial wipes before continuing your work.

Doing all of these five things will ensure the safety of your school’s faculty and students. Remember, it’s important that we respect others’ health as much as we respect our own.

At the end of the day, we’re all in school to achieve the same goal: to receive our diploma and succeed in the workforce. It should be our job to encourage others to get there, and part of that is making sure that we’re keeping each other safe and healthy.

Sources:

Back to State: Coronavirus Information: Penn State. (n.d.). Retrieved September 03, 2020, from https://virusinfo.psu.edu/back-to-state Accessed on September 3, 2020.

Hand Sanitizer Use Out and About. (2020, August 17). Retrieved September 03, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/hand-sanitizer-use.html Accessed on September 3, 2020.

Jesse, D. (2020, August 26). Sensors, apps, police patrols: Colleges are trying to track students to contain COVID-19 cases. Students are pushing back. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/08/25/covid-19-students-push-back-against-colleges-coronavirus-tracking/5632082002/ Accessed on September 3, 2020.