Manitoba post-secondary students head back to class with mix of excitement and nerves

College and university students in Manitoba are preparing mentally and physically for a return to school this week after many spent the bulk of the last two years learning remotely.

The University of Winnipeg held its first in-person orientation in two years on Wednesday, welcoming students inside the Duckworth Centre in the downtown campus.

The return to in-person learning is a relief for first year student Sammie Carvalho, who hopes to graduate in six years with two degrees — one in education, the other in French studies.

"I've always been very visual. I need the in-person, I need the talking, I like the structure," she said.

Jake Sheppard also started his first day of university on Wednesday and said he felt a little nervous about starting classes because he missed out on some socialization during the pandemic.

"It feels like I went from Grade 10 of high school right to senior year … I kind of feel like I'm being thrust into something I might not be ready for, but I'm doing the best I can," he said.

The start of the new school year is also exciting for faculty and staff.

Three years of cohorts are starting together on campus, says Jan Stewart, the interim provost and vice-president academic at U of W. That includes brand new students and those who spent their first years learning off-campus.

"The lawn will be full of life and it'll be just really good to welcome students back," she said in an interview the day before.

Effective Aug. 17, masks are "highly recommended," but not required on that campus the university said on its website — despite some pushback from faculty.

Post-secondary institutions across the province are gearing up for the return of students, but some are doing a hybrid model, like Red River College Polytechnic.

President Fred Meier says most of the courses are hands-on, therefore in-person learning is key, but the blended model means more people can receive education.

"The flexibility to reach students that normally wouldn't be able to access some of our programs through an online or virtual format is something new for us. We believe that blended learning in some of our programs is very important," Meier said.

Everyone who comes on campus must self-screen for COVID-19, but mask use is optional, the website says.

RRC mechanical engineering student Lucas Dueck says he's spent about half a semester in an actual classroom in the last two years.

"It feels good to interact with people again. It gives me more motivation to do my school work instead of being on Zooms all day," he said.

Richard Frechette, the vice-president of finance and administration at the University of St. Boniface, says many people are very excited to be back on campus, but some might be quite anxious about it.

"We've actually hired a person to look after mental health to ensure that students that are coming back and feeling a bit anxious know there are resources for them."

Masks are recommended on campus, Frechette said.

At Brandon University, staff and faculty are ready to support students feeling uneasy about the transition, according to Grant Hamilton, the director of marketing and communications.

"First year of university is always a change, but two years of virtual learning and the jump to university might be a big jump, so we're doing everything we can to make sure that students are ready, supported and on the path to success."

Hamilton says Brandon University has improved its ventilation and air filtration because of the pandemic. He says masks, COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are "highly recommended."

Back at University of Winnipeg, Carvalho says her nerves started to calm as she met other first years.

"It's really helpful to see people who are so warm welcoming and welcoming of new students ... knowing that there's people around me who care about me and are going to help me grow."

WATCH | University students headed back to class:

University students head back to class

2 years ago

Duration 1:53

It's orientation day at the University of Winnipeg — with hundreds of first year students stepping onto campus for the first time. It's a big transition for students who have spent the last 2 years learning virtually.