This spring semester, more students will be staying home to be fully-remote instead of moving back into Kent State’s residence halls.

“It’s safe to assume there will be less students on campus than in fall semester,” Director of Housing Relations David Taylor said.

Classes went remote in the spring of 2020 and when the fall semester came, Kent State did not require students to live on campus. Some students decided not to come to campus for the fall semester, but some students will be leaving for the spring semester after staying in the fall.

“The money I’m spending is not worth the experience,” sophomore nursing major Abby Allio said. Allio said that her experiences both in the dorms and on campus don’t merit the price of housing for a semester.

“Being in the dorms, there is not enough interaction,” sophomore biology major Emily Vargo said. “I’d like to see maybe some more online activities.”

Ohio has seen an increase in the number of cases, and the opportunities for in-person gatherings will most likely not be available for the foreseeable future.

However, some students still see value.

“Hanging out with my friends while being safe during the pandemic has really helped my mental health,” sophomore public relations major Morgan Cummings said. She thought about just staying at home but it improved her state of mind to be able to see people.

A study by Chegg showed that over half of the students surveyed during the past few months are at least moderately worried about their mental health. If students go back home, they will see less of their friends and be stuck at their home away from Kent. Kent State still provides mental health services for students living off campus such as online therapy appointment slots, but that might not be enough for some people.

The exact number of students leaving will not be known until the spring semester begins, and the university will be adjusting its programming toward the students respectively, Taylor said. Students who live on campus next semester will move in with the new 55-hour, five-day move-in Kent State did last semester.

Ben Vrobel covers administration. Contact him at [email protected].

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Hi, I’m Lauren Sasala, a senior journalism student from Toledo. I’m also the editor in chief of The Kent Stater and KentWired this semester. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important news about Kent State and the Kent community. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate.