Submitted photo Daniel White

NASHUA – Students across the country are making the transition to an online format to finish out the school year.

This isn’t your typical spring break.

Nashua’s Rivier University recently announced, like many schools and colleges, that remote learning will replace the conventional classroom for the rest of the semester, and for some, the rest of the school year.

For Augusta, Maine, senior Daniel White, the shift from physical classroom to online classroom has been fluid.

“We moved out on March 17,” the 21-year old student said. “Rivier really made it easy on us. They did a great job of transitioning us to the online classroom. The professors were tremendous. We use Canvas for all our learning.”

White said that Rivier’s professors have put educational materials online and have updated the syllabus for students. Canvas, a popular website, provides assignments, announcements and other tools for learning. Studying from home, however, presents its challenges.

“Some of my classes involve teamwork-based activities,” he said. “Being at home and trying to communicate via email is a lot different than seeing that person every day.”

Teleconferencing via Zoom, said White, allows a sense of security by being able to see that person face-to-face and have that connection.

“Zoom helps with that in-class atmosphere,” he shared. “With the quarantine, it’s probably the closest thing to actually being in a classroom. It helps ease my anxiety. I can talk to my professor. You just can’t get that intonation when you’re sending an email. Video conferencing is so much easier.”

White said the university has been transparent in keeping students posted with emails from President Sister Paula Marie Buley. One of the things that took most resident students by surprise was the physical move and relocation out of the dormitories.

“We found out a couple of days ago that we’re keeping with online learning for the rest of the semester,” he said. “And we were given days and times of when we can go back and get our stuff. They’re very organized in making sure there aren’t more students on campus on one day at one time, with social distancing rules in place.”

Like other students, White has not been able to retrieve the rest of his belongings from his dorm room. He found out on March 13 that he and others needed to be out for two weeks.

“They said we’d need to gather what we would need for two weeks,” he said.

So, with just the essentials packed, students returned to their homes. Students must now email the housing department to make arrangements to collect their belongings.

White said he never imagined this is how his senior year would be.

“I was completely shocked,” he said. “I figured I could handle two weeks. No problem. We’re going to come back and everything will be alright.”

On top of all else, White is athlete, a pitcher for the school’s baseball team.

“We actually got 10 games in before this happened,” he said. “I feel bad for other schools who practiced and never got to play a game.”

And a senior, White is experiencing another whammy of sorts: graduation has been scheduled.

“Now we’re told that it will be postponed,” he sighed. “We don’t know exactly what that date is going to be.”

In Maine, White is home with family but said disciplining himself to do schoolwork hasn’t been that difficult.

“I think baseball helps,” he said. “We have that structure with training and practices. We have a schedule which helps us keep on task with schooling.”

After graduation, whenever that may be, White is applying to graduate school at Rivier.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “And hopefully by then, we’ll be back at school – physically.”

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