For the first time in its history, Hillsdale College will have online-only classes for current students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new challenge and the new form of education gives students a chance to grow in their pursuit of wisdom and development of the soul.
Now that learning is online, the setting of this pursuit has changed, but the purpose of a Hillsdale education remains the same.
Hillsdale does not celebrate online learning for its undergraduate studies, but our professors are committed to making the most out of this time. Similarly, students should use this first week of online learning to develop new habits at home in order to learn well in the coming weeks.
With news updates about the virus popping up on phones, computers, and televisions all the time, it may be difficult for students to step outside the chaos of the day and prepare their minds for learning. Listening to lectures by professors from afar may feel fruitless when people are losing their lives around the world, and many states in America have stay-at-home orders.
But this turbulent time is an opportunity for students to reexamine why they chose to attend Hillsdale College and rediscover the purpose of gaining wisdom.
When students arrive on campus for freshman convocation, they are told to prepare for a challenging four years and to “put your boots on.”
With this being one of the most unstable times in the modern world’s history, students at Hillsdale have a duty to overcome adversity and work diligently to maximize their time learning remotely.
The purpose of receiving an education from Hillsdale goes beyond earning a degree. Students and professors use the classroom setting to engage in discussions about eternal ideas from history’s greatest figures. Professors guide students down the path of knowledge and help students discover for themselves the truth about the world around them.
This knowledge gives students wisdom about how to understand the times in which they are living and the problems they face.
As students prepare for the coming weeks of learning from home, it’s important to remember life is meant to be lived well, something we learn constantly inside and outside the classroom. It will be easy to sleep in and put off reading, but students should hold themselves accountable and motivate one another to put forth their best effort during this time of uncertainty.