College Students Get Ready To Go Back To School, But Will They Party?

As some college students gear up to return to school in the fall, as many as 79% say that they won’t attend parties this year, a poll from College Reaction and Axios indicated Thursday. Nearly three-quarters (71%) said they won’t attend sports events if they are held, the study indicated.

While this may take some of the fun out of college, students across the U.S. are ready to go back to school with 76% of those polled saying they would return to campus if they have the option and 66% saying they would attend in-person classes.

While the poll indicates college students are concerned about the coronavirus, they have been criticized for recent behavior during the pandemic. A plethora of house parties have popped, violating multiple state orders that limit gathering capacities, and young people, in general, have been urged to stop their partying ways to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pleaded with young people, telling them to stop partying while Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said he will turn the utilities off at large parties if young people don’t start following the state restrictions.

But young people seem to be ignoring the orders. A party involving about 400 people was shut down at East Carolina University as it reopened only weeks ago. The party was one of at least 20 gatherings that were shut down for violating state gathering orders, campus police Lt. Chris Sutton told the News & Observer.

“It’s a difficult time for everyone,” Sutton told the News & Observer. “We’ve really had to change policing methods over the last several weeks due to different events across our country, and now we’re having to wrestle with a pandemic since our students have returned to campus.”

Classes started at East Carolina University on Monday. Students began arriving on campus on Aug. 5.

East Carolina University is not the only college that has decided to reopen its doors amid the coronavirus pandemic. Schools such as the University of Texas at Austin said it will reopen its doors on Aug. 26, with a face mask requirement for students and faculty while the University of Washington said that it will teach classes remotely.

Schools across the country grapple with how to keep students and staff safe during the pandemic. Colleges such as Georgetown University are limiting the number of students on campus, and Rice University will require coronavirus testing prior to the start of the semester and limit class size to 25 students.