Like many other universities, Binghamton University has switched to online classes in wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Although the transition to MyCourses discussion threads and ZOOM lectures have been relatively smooth on campus there are several factors to consider which may still hinder our ability to preform at our best. I am proposing that Binghamton University follows the initiatives of other universities and allow their students to pass/ fail courses for the Spring 2020 semester whilst still allowing the credits to count towards graduation. I propose this idea for the following reasons: 

1. Although we have had a relatively smooth transition to online classes, it is not the learning platform we were prepared for. The transition was very quick and unexpected with little time to prepare which puts us at a disadvantage. Many of us lost access to printers/ print books through the library reserve forcing us to stare at computer screens for hours on end every day. 

2. Mental health. From conversations I have had with my fellow peers, many of us are struggling to balance dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and keeping our grades up to the high standards us Binghamton students tend to have for ourselves. Students should not feel pressured to prioritize 4.0's over their mental (and physical) health. 

3. Available facilities. Again, from conversations with peers, I have discovered many of us are confined to either our dorm rooms, apartments or houses at home to complete all of our work. Libraries, coffee shops, common spaces, etc. are all closed due to social distancing leaving us with no more than the desk and chair in our bedrooms to study and complete assignments. These environments inevitably have more distractions making it more difficult to give 100% of our attention to our studies, again, yielding more unnecessary stress on our students. 

Through conversations with Binghamton students I have found these to be the most pressing reasons as to why Binghamton University should allow their students to pass/ fail courses while still getting the credit to go towards graduation. By allowing this, a tremendous amount of pressure is taken off the students (and professors) to allow them to take care of themselves and others during this crisis while still allotting an appropriate amount of time towards their studies. The Coronavirus Pandemic is an unprecedented event we are all dealing with that requires unprecedented action.