Many incoming Ontario post-secondary students would rather defer than learn online
Kyler Witvoet was optimistic that starting university would bring more freedom, a reprieve from the isolation and missed opportunities the pandemic inflicted on teens and young adults. But when he received his course schedule, he said his heart sank."
Witvoet scanned the webpage detailing his first-year classes at McMaster University, to find most would be offered online for the fall 2021 term, save for one lab that would be held in person. After conversations with family and upper-year students, Witvoet, 18, made the difficult decision to defer his offer of acceptance to the university's engineering program.
He submitted a request in late July - becoming one of thousands of domestic and international students deferring their admission to post-secondary institutions across the province. A Star survey of the province's universities and colleges found the number of deferral requests they received this year remained high as a result of the pandemic.
Like so many young adults, Witvoet struggled with the loss of hands-on" learning. For the most part, his school did a pretty good job" engaging students in virtual school. But his mental health worsened, and knowing he would lose out on the social aspects of university life wasn't something he could reconcile.
Last year, I felt lost. I'm a pretty shy person, and for the first two years of high school, I didn't really talk to anyone," Witvoet said. I feel like I was just starting to open up, and talk to people, and then the pandemic hit. And I still haven't really talked to anyone since."
Witvoet was looking forward to meeting new people, and going to parties. But he also craved chatting with peers sitting beside him in lectures, instead of just being in (his) room, alone, watching a video."
After doing Grade 12 online, I learned I'm missing out on a lot of things. I didn't feel like doing that again, especially if there may be another lockdown with the Delta variant."
Of his friends from high-school, five plan on taking the next academic year off, he said.
By Wednesday - three weeks after Witvoet had submitted his deferral request - McMaster University had not clarified whether he would be permitted to defer or not. He contacted the registrar's office, and sought clarity through the live chat service available on the university's website. The representatives he spoke with said he wouldn't hear back until late August or early September, just days before Witvoet was scheduled to move into the university's residence.
He cancelled his deferral request Tuesday night, because it was getting too complicated and stressful." The commute to his on-campus lab would take no longer than 10 minutes - but living at home would isolate him further, Witvoet said.
If I'm living in residence, there might be a small group of us in our building, that have the same classes, so we can at least sit in the library or something and watch them together," he said.
Last year, post-secondary institutions across Ontario saw deferral requests in the triple digits. A Statistics Canada report released Wednesday is projecting a significant drop in admissions, both domestic and international, which could translate into a $1.7 billion shortfall for Ontario's post-secondary institutions in the 2020-21 year.
The promise of high vaccine uptake inspired hope the fall 2021 term would resume normally, with students wandering the halls and teachers back in lecture halls. But now, incoming undergraduates and universities alike are staring down the barrel of a fourth wave. And while announcements from post-secondary institutions indicated there would be more in-class opportunities, the odd on-campus lab or tutorial isn't enough to convince a wave of incoming post-secondary students to settle for a fragmented university experience.
As of Aug. 20, McMaster University has received 101 deferral requests for the 2021-22 academic year - a drop from last year's 172 - with a deadline of Sept. 1, a spokesperson said. But other schools didn't fare so well.
St. Clair College had about 700 students who deferred last year. This year, the college is averaging about the same amount of deferrals due to travel restrictions and visa delays," said school spokesperson John Fairley. The college is offering 125 programs this fall, 16 of which will continue strictly online," he added.
A substantial portion of their enrolment takes the form of international students who still cannot make their way to Canada at this time," Fairley said.
Another six programs will be delivered online and in person, reflecting that their enrolments are almost equally divided between domestic and international students, he added.
The University of Toronto said the school is expecting about 500 requests for deferrals to the next academic year. In 2020, the university recorded 539 deferrals - a significant increase from 314 deferrals in 2019.
Like U of T, Ryerson University saw a spike in deferrals over the pandemic. A spokesperson said the university witnessed a 35 per cent increase from fall 2019, totalling 281 requests. As of Aug. 17, Ryerson had received 166 deferral requests.
Between undergraduate and Bachelor of Education programs, Trent University had 450 students defer fall 2020 offers, a spokesperson said. As of Aug. 12, the university had received 250 requests to defer the coming term.
A spokesperson for Cambrian College could not provide exact numbers, but explained deferrals for international students have become more common" since the pandemic began, given some of the travel restrictions" they face. Deferrals for domestic students are rare and granted in exceptional circumstances," the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for Fanshawe College could not provide numbers on deferrals, but explained the college has offered a 10-day money-back guarantee - with a full refund of tuition, ancillary and program fees - to families since last fall.
Michele Foster, psychologist and co-director of the Toronto Wellness Psychology Group, said teens and young adults look forward to the university experience to start fresh." When learning is online, it becomes harder to develop their independence" and make new relationships, she added.
We've seen a lot of young adults start university only to take a leave or drop out in the past year and a half, because they've struggled with the online format, haven't built meaningful roots at the school, and can't fathom another year strictly online," Foster said. For many (people), resilience isn't what it once was ... there's a lot of anxiety and hopelessness right now."
Young adults have missed celebrations that older generations remember fondly, like graduations and proms, Foster said. The start of university is another one of those amazing experiences" they've heard loved ones reflect on. It's understandable they want the same opportunities, and the normal" university or college experience they had previously imagined, she added. It makes sense" that some are looking to defer, in hopes the next year is more predictable.
Students pay a lot to partake in these programs, and they want to ensure they're getting the full experience," Foster said. If they can find other ways to stay busy, work toward their goals and build meaningful connections over their deferral period, it could serve to improve their mental health, she added.
We're seeing increased rates of depression, eating disorders, social anxiety and self-harm," Foster said. We are a social species and we crave connection."
Maria Sarrouh is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star. Reach her via email: msarrouh@thestar.ca