Student Interview Transcript

Interviewer: So if you could please state your name, um, your age, where you live, and where you go to school, and what degree you are pursuing.

Participant: Sure. My name’s [Redacted]. I am 26 years old. Um, today is February 23rd, 2021. I live in Brooklyn. I live in, um, [Redacted] right now. And I’m currently in my last semester at Silberman pursuing my, um, social work master’s degree with a clinical focus.

Interviewer: Ok. What led to this decision to pursue a masters degree at Silberman?

Participant: Um, good question. So, I think growing up for a long time I was very focused on education as a critical, um, enabler and kind of, um, means of upward social mobility. Um, especially for groups who have been historically disenfranchised. Um, so, growing up I inserted myself on a lot of volunteer opportunities working with young people, um, being a tutor, being an after school teacher, a summer camp counselor. Um (clears throat) as I finished my undergrad, um, I found my first full time job as a classroom assistant at a charter school in [Redacted]. Um, and I worked there for over a year, and I think that being my first kind of, um, real dip or dive into what a long term career in, um, early education or, you know, childhood education could look like, um, really opened my eyes to, um, kind of what I felt like was, um, restricting me, um, in my position as like an assistant, you know, what I was capable of doing, um, how I was capable of being impactful in some of these young peoples’ lives. Um, and being observant of, you know, the other, some of the teachers and other faculty members there, it didn’t seem like they had much control or, um, yeah, really impact, um, in these lives outside of, you know, the classroom. Um, and, um I think I was probably bristled a little bit at the charter, some of the charter school ideologies. Um, certainly, the optics were overwhelmingly white teachers and overwhelmingly, um, students of color, um, and so I think, you know, after I took that job, I I I realized that maybe education wasn’t, um, really my true calling or the best use of my my my skills. Um, and, so as I was kind of trying to figure out what to do, I had conversations with friends and loved ones and someone mentioned social work, and I started looking into it. I think I had some pretty antiquated understandings of what social work was, based on my upbringing in like, um, what you might call “the hood” and so, you had like, you know, basically, social work to me I thought was like ACS and maybe also just kind of another form of control over um poor people, basically, um, and, you know, there there is some truth to that I think still. But, I I, as I learned more and met some people who were family friends who I realized were social workers, you know, that kind of narrow view of what social work was, um, expanded and I and I and I became more optimistic. Um yeah, and so I decided to apply, um, to become a social worker, because I realized that with that degree, you know, there’s a pathway to therapy. Just started to see as perhaps a real, um, my real kind of vehicle of of of change. Um, so yeah, that’s that’s kind of the short but still long version of how I got into social work or Silberman.

Interviewer: Ok. Um, was, was there at any point a realization that you wanted to work with a specific population? What population was that? Um, was that at all a part of the decision to work in social work?

Participant: Um, well, I mean I think, I think the the kind of, like, who I wanted to work with has been pretty much the same, um, and again it’s pretty much been guided by what originally was my, like, founded belief in education. Um, and where that comes down to, I guess, is the population is really just, you know, my life is one that I was fortunate enough to have some opportunities and be involved in some, like, programs where I was given some really unique privileges to kind of get out of, um, the the the probably the social and economic pots that I was in. Definitely the neighborhood that I grew up in. Um, and I was keenly aware that that was not true for the majority of the people, of my peers, of people that I lived, that I grew up with in my neighborhoods. Um and again that’s kind of why I picked leaned toward education as like… ok you know for me, that was what kind of, um, you know lifted me out, so to speak, and so that was why I look toward education, um, for my professional pursuit but, um, I mean yeah, so to that degree the population has always been the same. It’s always informed by, um, you know who’s marginalized, who’s disenfranchised, and and really the people that I or the communities that I grew up in are the same, like communities that I want to, um, work with and that have been, you know, the the the “haves” and the “have nots” haven’t really changed over the, um, the past few hundred years. So as the social worker, there’s a large swathe of people that I that I would feel very liberated to to work with. Of course there’a a subsection of people that I’d be probably particularly motivated to work with, right? Probably, um, hispanic kids for sure as a as a as a half latino, um, person myself. Certainly kids from single parent backgrounds, low socioeconomic, um, statuses, um, which again I like… I’m aware that, like, is most of most of I feel like, um, the populations that need, right, are along those those lines. So, um, the population hasn’t really changed for me at all, but I feel like finding social work was was big in terms of the means of enacting change.

Interviewer: Ok. Alright. Great! Um, so as a part of pursuing this MSW were you able to secure a field placement for this…

Participant: For this year?

Interviewer: Yes.

Participant: Uh, yeah. Um, I found a placement. I, like, went to pursue one early on, um, through one of those like competitive placements, which I think they just call them competitive placements because they are available earlier, or I don’t know. But (chuckles) uh, I applied to one of those, and so I was fortunate to, like, have my internship figured out kind of early on. But, I think a lot of people were trying to figure theirs out. So I’m, uh, interning right now at a community mental health clinic. It’s called [Redacted]. Um, and they have a couple of different locations. Um, it’s pretty much all remote, um, telehealth right now. Um, I think there’s some some some flexibility to going to the office if you’d like, and very very few clients are going into the office, but I think there are a couple. So um um yeah, but um, I’m I’m trying to navigate the tele-mental-health, and I do feel fortunate to have an internship, ‘cause I know, um, there’s a swathe of people that in our cohort who are doing the, um, the like simulation or something. And I’ve heard mixed mixed reviews on that.

Interviewer: Right. Um. So, so you’re at Silberman right now doing your degree virtually and you’re also doing the [Redacted], is that right?

Participant: Yes, that’s my internship.

Interviewer: Ok. And I know you had a different internship last year. Um, but can you can you walk me through what it was like pursuing your degree before COVID, so, like fall of 2019, early 2020? And what is it like, like a day in the life then and a day in the life now pursuing this degree in 2020/2021? And how those, so like, then and now what the differences are?

Participant: Sure, yeah. I mean to me it is kind of night and day. I was… I recall feeling very optimistic almost like I was starting undergrad when I began my, um, graduate program at Silberman and going into the to the building, acquainting myself with the physical space, you know. Um, I can recall making… feeling like I was making, you know, meaningful social connections, um, by going to classes and just seeing people’s faces and, you know, exchanging nods over funny comments, and you know, connecting after class. Um, that felt very much like a new phase of my life for me. Um, you know, where I went to undergrad was in [Redacted] far away from where I grew up here, uh, and so I had the very residential experience, uh, for undergrad there. But when I came here it felt very much like almost sexy Sex and the City New York. Like, you know, I’m doing the whole life walking out to Silberman and my classes, and then I had, uh, an after school job I went to, um, so I was feeling very good, um yeah. The classes felt very engaging, um um yeah. Um, and so I’m trying to think now. I mean, once covid began, things changed dramatically and drastically. Um, I remember the tail end of my internship last year kind of just like dissipated, like people, you know, I was working at a at a high school, and um, once all the classes for the high school students became virtual, it became very hard to meet with students that I was… that I had been working with and meeting with over the year. And so (clears throat), I feel like that whole, like, all my relationships in that internship kind of, not disappeared, but they, a lot… some of them… many of them disappeared, and some of them, like, shrunk kind of sadly, because you know kids stopped being present for that and their life was totally up-ended and somewhere else. Um, I remember you know the end of the year being finished kind of very half-hazardly. I mean I had had most of the year in person so I think academically I was, like, still on on par and stuff but I do just remember it being kind of a blur the end of the year and then over the summer there was no semblance of normalcy. Um, I was going around to a couple of different places kind of maybe riskily, but really for just probably my mental health, uh, with my partner. We went to her mom’s place for a couple of months. We went to my mom’s place for a little while. We just just tried to, like, switch up scenery and and and get away from the craziness of COVID in New York, which was a scary time, especially when it first started, um, being such a busy city at at the height of an unknown pandemic. Um and then yeah, starting this year feeling kind of down knowing that, um, from the end of the year like the quality of the classes are just not as good, like you know, I’m just not feeling as engaged with the content and, um, I think I just thrive a lot better with in person, um, stimulation, you know? Um, and then feeling a little down about some of those friendships that I felt like I had started to make that I wouldn’t be able to maintain or keep up on. Um, and just trying to figure out a new new way to to regulate myself at at home, uh, and have a schedule and, uh, find new like yeah habits, but, um, in general it’s been a bit of a bit of a downward slope if we talk about, you know, my feelings of like efficacy and confidence and like getting my masters degree. Like, I’m still gonna be very happy to get it, but I think, um, it will definitely have more of like a sour note, um, because of the context, I guess. Um, yeah, uh, I think I think that’s kind of the short of it.

Interviewer: Ok, so can you tell me, like, almost more scheduler, like logistically?.. So you were going into school, um, and I assume you were going to a placement pre-COVID. Are you doing 

anything like that now?

Participant: Um, no. So, before I was very active all over the city which is maybe another reason why it felt like Sex and the City sexy because as a teenager growing up in the city that was, like, the height of my, like… I felt very adult and cool, um, maybe senior year of high school moving around the city going to a lot of places to see friends and this and that, and then when I came back after being in undergad in [Redacted], kind of, having that feeling again, but as, uh you know, a twentysomething, um, but you know yeah. Last year I was going to Silberman on 120 whatever, 116th street, uh, I would go to an after school job for a little while which was all the way in Brooklyn near my house. Um, my internship, which was a couple days out of the week, was in, uh, Union Square. It was one of… it was a [Redacted] program. Um, and then for a while I was even doing a part time tutoring job, which was, uh like, trauma-informed, and so part of that we were we were going to students’ houses. So I was doing very anti-COVID-friendly things just before COVID happened. Um, traveling going all over the city regularly, yeah um, and I think about it now. I mean, no I I had… I’m very aware of the fact that I haven’t taken the train in months. Um, I was fortunate for a while. I had like, uh, access to a car, and so I was using that to get out and go upstate. My mom has a place there. Um, but movement is starkly different, like day-to-day movement is very little, um, and uh, it’s just kind of crazy to think about how involved I was in other people’s personal, like, home lives and how antithetical that is to where we are now. Um, I mean (internet lapse) my schedule is the same, but I don’t move, so yeah.

Interviewer: Ok. So uh, a big difference in the amount you’ve left the apartment before versus after?

Participant: Definitely.

Interviewer: Um, so now we’re gonna talk more about this experience. Have you… have you enjoyed the COVID part of this? Have you, like, enjoyed school virtually? Have you enjoyed doing your placement virtually?

Participant: Um, so for school I can safely say now it’s like a 70 to 30 I don’t like it. I think when it… the first couple of weeks I was like, “Oh man like I don’t have to go in. Like, I don’t have to take the train for an hour. This is awesome.” And then I was like, “Wait, like, I can’t see people, and like, this professor’s voice is not nearly as engaging as when he’s like 5 foot… 5 feet away from me.” Um, as far as the internship, um, I think it’s also yes, I would definitely prefer it without COVID, but I I don’t think it’s as damning. And I think part of that is because of this new found reliance on telehealth. Like, it’s made my ability to kind of expose… get exposure and experience working with clients still a possibility. Um, and a pretty like robust one at that. We’re even doing some some video telehealth, which is, again as as school has shown me, it’s not the same, but it beats a phone it beats a phone therapy session by a mile. Um, and so, like, the internship… luckily I didn’t lose… I feel like I’m not losing as much as I’m losing with with the academic Silberman part of it with covid. Um, that being said, I would love to be going into the office to the to the physical clinic to, uh you know, get to know some of the coworkers better and and just have some of that kind of, um, experience but…

Interviewer: Right. The part two to that question is now that you’ve thought about if you’ve enjoyed it, what the experience has been like, if you had known it would be this way, would you have applied to pursue your MSW?

Participant: Hmmm, that’s a good question. Hadn’t really thought of that one much. Um, I mean I think the answer is probably yeah, because the other… the alternative is to kind of delay it and just, kind of, find something else to occupy my time with during this covid crisis. Um, and I’m not sure that… you know, what I would do besides get a paycheck would be something that would really, like, be fruitful to me in the way that getting a degree is, uh, in a fundamental way. Um, do I wish I had done it like a year earlier? Yes (chuckles) um, because then I would be probably done just in time for COVID. But, you know, hindsight’s 20/20, and I think ultimately ultimately I do think it’s a little bit of, like um, I don’t know, what’s the phrase? Like, a not… not a “beggars can’t be choosers” kind of mentality, but I do feel like, um, as far as pursuing a master’s degree, its its a somewhat of a of a of a of a convenient time that we’re able to, you know, receive a master’s degree during such a turbulent time. So, it’s almost like if I was, you know like, part of a totally different career path, I’d have a much tougher decision. But I feel like being able to still get a degree while I’m… while we’re in the midst of this is kind of, uh… it it gives me some some, um, relief, uh yeah.

Interviewer: Ok. Ok, great! Um, so we touched on this a little bit, but I… what were your career aspirations? Do you have… did you have any, like, specific career aspirations or goals when starting your MSW? You got out of your MSW and you wanted to go do what?

Participant: Um, yeah, I mean, originally, uh, I guess, the detail I didn’t include into my whole, like, coming to Silberman or coming to social work thing is, you know, at the charter school I worked at, I saw the social worker’s role and and and theirs seemed very more very much more hands on and, uh, autonomous, um, and so that was kind of my first like, “Oh, like that seems like a job I could… I would love to do and would be very um tenable, uh, doable with with a master’s degree.” Like, it didn’t seem like I’d have to, like, work for five years to work up to that, you know like, thats, uh, thats an entry level once you have your master’s degree position. So, certainly as, like, starting out I was like, “Ok I could start out as like a school social worker a school therapist” basically. Um, I think going through going through Silberman, I’ve kind of broadened it a little bit, like, now I’m… I just got offered a job at where I’m interning at right now, which is awesome. So like, I’m super happy to do more, like, broad community based, uh, mental health, you know, and that’s gonna include some some some young people and kids, so I’m gonna get like that school social work but more, um, so I’m I’m happy about that. And I think long term, maybe naively, but I I also kind of assume a lot of people, uh, think this is, you know… private practice is always something you can like pursue years down years down the road, um, if you’re seeking that kind of personal autonomy, um, or like, flexibility in your, yeah, in your work/life balance and, uh, and and and other kinds of things. So uh, I don’t know. I don’t know how much I’ll really want that once, you know, it… I’m I’m further down the road, but that was kind of my… one of my mid to longer term where I saw myself kind of situations.

Interviewer: Ok. Um, you say… you said there was some broadening, and I was wondering… and and what, like, your kind of career goals were. And I was wondering, was that broadening at all influenced by our current like political/cultural climate? So, like like, anything that’s been happening, whether that’s COVID, whether that was the Black Lives Matter movement that really erupted, whether that was, I mean, a lot of things that we’ve seen, um, people being devastated by terribles fires or ice storms, or you know, anything about this last administration. Was that broadening influenced by any of that?

Participant: Um, hmmm, well that’s a good question. I mean, I think that I feel like the the the shorter answer is no, and the reason that is because, um, you know, Black Lives Matter, um, and to a lesser degree, Trump, and kind of the rhetoric he represent… to me, you know, this wasn’t the this wasn’t the beginning of that, right? I’ve had, to me, I had… I feel like this was something that had been happening for a while, right? Like, Black Lives Matter, Black people getting gunned down had been happening for a long time. White nationalism and terrorism had been happening for a long time too before Trump. So these were all, like, things that I kind of already knew were problems and and, like, I you know, yes, they’ve formed me in my desire to be a social worker, but ultimately I think my my… the knowledge I’m gaining I gained in in class and in my internship opened my eyes as to what options social workers have, like, what other forms incarnations of social work there are. So that was kind of more the, like, precipitating, eye-opening experience for me just because I didn’t have much knowledge about social work. The social issues such as Black Lives Matter and Trump, I feel like I had way more knowledge of even before, like you know, Trump was elected, because again, I feel like that was leading up for a couple of years before that, and Black Lives Matter for many years before before like the summer of protests erupted and stuff. Um, so it was less like the context of the social climate, more, props to Silberman, like them… just the basics of my first year at Silberman learning what the heck social work is and what social workers can do. Um, so yeah, that’s the short answer. I mean, all, like, all of those social crises certainly, I think, continue to be, like, alarm bells for like, “I’m… I’m in the right place. I’m doing… I’m on the right path.” Um like, the work that I’m doing and others are doing is needed, um, but it wasn’t, like, one of those things turned me down a certain avenue.

Interviewer: Ok. Ok. Great. So that was, I asked a lot of questions about, like, your career, your education and all that sort of stuff. And just to, in the last five minutes or so, I just wanted to ask a little bit about how COVID, and just this whole scenario of, you know, I think we’re at almost one year of kind of this quarantine life-style right? We started quarantining about March 14th last year. Um uh, how that’s affected life personally. And I think the first thing I want to ask is, um, I guess, have… what have you done in your own life to cope with this situation that you’re in and you’ve been in for the last year? Um, whether that’s specific activities or, um, places you’ve gone or something like that. What has been almost, like, a tool or a means of coping and and functioning throughout all of this?

Participant: Hmmm good question. Um, I think in in a general sense I have been a little kinder to myself. A little less harsh. Um, in the way that I might have managed… restricted my time, um, in a… like a not obsequious, but demanding way, um, pre-COVID, because I kind of held myself to high standards, and you know, you wanna to stay moving, you have to keep moving kind of mentality. I think I’ve been kinder to myself, especially once covid started. I mean, I think there’s had to be a little bit of of readjustment period where I’m, like, balancing. But initially I think yeah, I was, um, just trying to be kinder to myself; allowing myself to spend more time doing recreational activities like watching Netflix or something. Um, another key thing has been, like, I live with my partner and that’s, like, a huge support. Um, I couldn’t imagine doing it, like like, if I lived in an apartment by myself, that’d be really hard. Um, what else? Yeah, certainly having, I mentioned that I had a few months where I had access to a car that I was just able to use, and that was a huge benefit. Um, that point for me, and I think for my partner as well, being able to like physically move spaces when we had been stuck in a covid space for too long was was… has been really big. So a couple of times we went to her mom’s place in [Redacted]. I think we stayed there for, like, two months, literally, uh, during the end of, or during the summer. Um, and so just having the ability to, during that time period (clears throat), go somewhere for a week where I could still do my classes and stuff but be in a different place or have access to an outdoor space was, uh, an immeasurable kind of benefit that made me feel a lot a lot better. Um, what else? Um yeah, I’m really just being easy on myself. I’m probably… I probably gained a little weight. Haven’t worried about checking it ‘cause I just… like, I wanna make sure that, like, I don’t know, I’m, like, much happier just allowing myself to eat sweets and stuff without (laughs) without being hard on myself, but uh yeah, I don’t know. There’s periods where I where I go back and I’m like, “Ok I’m gonna fasten up a little bit more,” and then I refocus on, like, maybe not eating as many sweets, but at the end of the day, I’m not I’m not really concerned about it. All I’m concerned about is making sure that I still feel like I can put a smile on my face, and it’s not forced and still feel like I’m able to, like, meet with the people I’m working with in my internship in a, like, in an honest way where I’m not, like, where I’m not being my best self with them, you know. So, I’ve been able to to to hold off hold off for this long. So… (laughs)

Interviewer: Alright. Um, last question I wanted to ask is… So let’s say someone is about to enter into this situation. They’re about to begin their MSW, and they’re about to do it during covid virtual life, um, maybe doing a virtual placement, virtual therapy. What piece of advice would you give them as they, like, embark on the situation as you’re about to, I guess, be done with it?

Participant: Hmmm, wow. Um, I mean, I think first of all I’d want to tell them, like, it’s not gonna last forever. Um, I feel like that’s important to hear. Um, making sure that, like, going into it, your, like, your your social your social connections that you are already have, like, to kind of, um, I don’t know, not not firm them up, but reach out and connect to the people you’re already connected to. Um um, because I guess, like, making connections when we’re in this sort of virtual context in school or not is that is that much harder, and so, I guess, valuing the relationships you already have where you don’t have to form them, when you don’t have the space, or you know, or or or kind of emotional space maybe too is is important. So, keeping keeping, like, keeping those preserved I think, and and and in general, I guess, your network, right? Like family and stuff. Relying on them for support, uh, ‘cause ‘cause while you’re going through Silberman by yourself, we’re all going through this, um, isolation kind of together. So I I think that’s important. Um yeah, probably just those two things to start.

Interviewer: Alright. Thank you so much and have a great day.

W.H. Representation of Interview.

Introduction 

While a relatively young practice, Internet college courses and virtual learning are not new concepts in the United States. Since the late 80s, individuals have been able to take selected college courses online from accredited institutions (Ferrer, 2019). These courses are developed specifically to be taught online to those who are choosing to learn in this remote fashion devoid of physical classrooms and casual student interaction. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of students across the country who did not, and would not, choose to engage in this type of learning have had no option but to continue their education virtually and remotely. This frustrating scenario is often exacerbated by the fact that many of these courses that are now online were not developed to be taught on this platform, nor were many of the professors trained to teach in this setting. This was understandable given the unexpectedness of the pandemic, but as we have passed the one-year anniversary of pandemic life, it is fair to assert that universities should be implementing changes that meet the needs of their students who were forced into remote learning. 

In order to explore some of these needs, the present research reviews an interview with an MSW student from Hunter College who started his degree pre-pandemic but will complete it during the pandemic. The intent of this exploration is to pinpoint what specifically universities and professors can change and/or offer in order to provide students with the educational experience they desire and are paying for. These findings will be pertinent for all educational institutions that desire to elevate their online platform so that it works for a wide array of students. 

 Method 

The data for this study was obtained by conducting a recorded one-on-one 30-minute interview with one participant. The interview was transcribed verbatim on MAXQDA2020 software and was coded thereafter. The coding process began with initial or open coding, which means the researcher went through and coded the entire interview line by line (Thornberg & Charmaz, 2014). This was done first to ensure that the coding matched exactly what was in the data as opposed to attempting to squeeze data into preconceived themes. This step was followed up by focused or selected coding where the most frequent and related codes that emerged during initial coding were formed into a couple of encompassing categories (Saldana, 2013). These categories were used by the researcher in revisiting and combing through the data. This step of the process required reliance on the constant comparative method as initial codes had to be compared to one another, different events in the data were compared, and the categories were compared to new emerging themes. After the initial and focused coding, the overall theme of the data was identified and gave way to a theory. 

Findings and Discussion 

In order to best explore the thematic findings of this study, direct quotes from the interview with the participant will be shared and then flushed out in a discussion. The interview was conducted with a [*identifying information redacted*]who is in his final semester of his MSW at Hunter College in New York City. 

“Um, and, so as I was kind of trying to figure out what to do, I had conversations with friends and loved ones and someone mentioned social work, and I started looking into it. I think I had some pretty antiquated understandings of what social work was, based on my upbringing in like, um, what you might call ‘the hood’ and so, you had like, you know, basically, social work to me I thought was like ACS and maybe also just kind of another form of control over um poor people, basically, um, and, you know, there there is some truth to that I think still. But, I I, as I learned more and met some people who were family friends who I realized were social workers, you know, that kind of narrow view of what social work was, um, expanded and I and I and I became more optimistic. Um yeah, and so I decided to apply, um, to become a social worker, because I realized that with that degree, you know, there’s a pathway to therapy. Just started to see as perhaps a real, um, my real kind of vehicle of of of change.” 

This quote comes from the beginning of the interview and sums up why the participant chose to pursue social work. Toward the end of the quote, the participant reveals that a large part as to why he is pursuing his MSW is because he feels that being a therapist will allow him to bring change into this world. This motivation was found before both the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 summer of Black Lives Matter protests. However, it is important to note that while the motivation to create change was already there, the knowledge of which direction to go with that motivation was lacking. The participant points out that only through conversations with those he has close relationships with was he able to open his mind to the career that he is now pursuing. An even finer detail to take note of is that some of these close connections were specifically with social workers. These relationships proved to be incredibly meaningful in the participant’s life, because, arguably, he would not be completing his degree if it weren’t for their recommendations and support. 

“Um, I can recall making… feeling like I was making, you know, meaningful social connections, um, by going to classes and just seeing people’s faces and, you know, exchanging nods over funny comments, and you know, connecting after class. Um, that felt very much like a new phase of my life for me… Um, and so I’m trying to think now. I mean, once covid began, things changed dramatically and drastically… I’m just not feeling as engaged with the content and, um, I think I just thrive a lot better with in-person, um, stimulation, you know? Um, and then feeling a little down about some of those friendships that I felt like I had started to make that I wouldn’t be able to maintain or keep up on.” 

As is evident from the quote above, this is the point in the interview when the participant began to compare his experience at Hunter College before and after the start of the pandemic. In this set of data, the participant clarifies that being in a remote location has been largely difficult in two ways: struggling to stay engaged, and the inability to create and maintain relationships. The participant does not mention being dissatisfied with the content or even being unimpressed with professors who are working to figure out how to teach courses virtually. The main qualm the participant highlighted with the onset of the pandemic and online learning is the difference in being able to naturally form friendships with peers. This points to the idea that this participant, and likely many others, do not enroll in and pay for school solely for academics. School provides a community. School allows young and future professionals to network and make connections that could prove valuable in the field as individuals search for jobs or even collaborate to start organizations. According to the participant, this is one of the most disappointing aspects of doing virtual remote learning. 

“Um, another key thing has been, like, I live with my partner and that’s, like, a huge support. Um, I couldn’t imagine doing it, like like, if I lived in an apartment by myself, that’d be really hard.” 

When inquiring about how the participant has managed to navigate this last year of doing remote learning during the pandemic, he provided the above quote. This was sandwiched between his two other factors that he listed, which were being kinder to himself and borrowing a car to drive and visit his family. All three of these resources shared by the client emphasize the idea that he has been able to be successful in this experience because of the relationships in his life, including his relationship with himself. In this quote, the participant is acknowledging the many people may be tackling this virtual learning challenge all on their own, and the participant recognizes how much more challenging that would be.  

“Um, making sure that, like, going into it, your, like, your your social your social connections that you are already have, like, to kind of, um, I don’t know, not not firm them up, but reach out and connect to the people you’re already connected to. Um um, because I guess, like, making connections when we’re in this sort of virtual context in school or not is that is that much harder, and so, I guess, valuing the relationships you already have where you don’t have to form them, when you don’t have the space, or you know, or or or kind of emotional space maybe too is is important.” 

This final quote came toward the end of the interview when the participant offered advice to anyone who might be beginning their journey of remote learning. This is the number one thing he wanted to tell people. He did not mention study habits, or meditations, or tracking finances. This final response embodies what the participant communicated throughout his interview, which is that creating, maintaining, and relying on relationships is a necessity when it comes to pursuing an education. 

Implications for Education 

Before providing implications that connect to criticisms and suggestions, it is important to acknowledge the huge challenge Hunter College and other institutions have taken on as they have strived to create online curriculums instantly with no warning. This research is intended to help schools as they continue to create an online platform that meets their students’ needs. The coding of the data in this study uncovered the theory that an education without the ability to form, be part of, and draw from a community of personal relationships is not sufficient, and institutions should be required to provide the space for students, either in-person or virtually, to have regular social interactions outside of lecture. The implication that comes with this is that there needs to be some swift and significant changes carried out at Hunter College and other schools utilizing virtual education. 

In the case of Hunter College, the administration should investigate providing open Zoom calls from 8 AM to 8 PM that could be labeled as “Study Hall”, or “Lunch Break”, or “Passing Period”, that students can join whenever works for their schedule. In these calls, students could hop around to smaller breakout rooms and engage in open and organic conversation with their peers, which would allow for relationship and community building. Hunter College could also require professors to alter lesson plans so that students are able to take a 15-minute break during the middle of class to go into breakout rooms and talk with one another candidly about the class and the homework without being in the presence of the professor. Lastly, Hunter College could organize biweekly or monthly seminars/discussions on various social work-related topics that students are free to attend. This way students would be able to connect with professors and peers who share their professional interests. Each of these suggestions would require minimal effort and potentially no financial cost to Hunter, and they would make a world of difference for all students, because they need more than just academic content. This is especially true for students who do not have a social support system in their own home or immediate community. 

Personal Reflection 

I was skeptical of this assignment, as I tend to be with all research assignments, but I was surprised to see it piece together so naturally. After interviewing and transcribing, I had no idea of what theme or theory I was going to “discover” through coding because the interview covered such a wide array of topics. It was fascinating to see through coding, grouping, and comparing, that the power and necessity of relationships in education was at the heart of all of what was said. And the strong implication that Hunter College needs to do more in allowing their students to connect came instantly as that main theme and theory was discovered. 

I also realized in my reflection that this project allowed me to do what I have written about, which is to create a new relationship with a student. Conducting a 30-minute interview is the most time I have spent one-on-one with a peer this year, and it was a refreshing and invigorating experience. I am grateful to have done it, not just because it opened my eyes to how qualitative research works, but because I feel like I’ve made a friend in a virtual world of isolation. 

References 

Ferrer, David (2019, July 17) History of online education. The Best Schools. https://thebestschools.org/magazine/online-education-history/ 

Saldana, J. (2013). The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers (2nd Ed.). SAGE Publishing. Thornberg, R. & Charmaz, K. (2014). Grounded theory and theoretical coding. In the SAGE handbook of qualitative data analysis (pp. 153-169). SAGE Publications Ltd