Since 2020 started, things have gone wrong. The entire world has gone to crap and people are struggling just to survive day-to-day life. We as students have a lot on our plate already; college is hard enough without a global pandemic to worry about. The professors are struggling just as hard to teach us and to do it safely. The consequences of COVID-19 has soiled our extremely expensive education by creating a disparaging reduction in the quality of learning. 

I feel that we shouldn’t be penalized for struggling to learn in an unpredictable, confusing and mentally challenging semester. So I, as a student at University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), would like to create this petition to get the attention of the university and the students. 

I am requesting that students are given the option to switch their classes to pass/fail. This semester is no different than Spring 2020 and may even be harder. Students are having to acclimate to some hybrid and some fully online courses. There are many obstacles students are facing right now that they have never had to face prior to the pandemic, but the course load has just grown heavier. Many students face failing, losing scholarships, and seniors are worried about graduating on time. Students should be able to choose the pass/fail option for Fall 2020 because we need it now more than ever.

There have been many uncertainties surrounding this semester that have caused barriers to getting the proper college education that we have all paid for, and are still paying for in full. With these uncertainties comes the immense stress of online learning. Many students feel that online learning is harder because we believe that hands on experience and in person is more beneficial for the understanding of the material. Not being able to meet face to face with professors and TA's has led to great confusion. We feel as though this semester is no different than the Spring 2020 semester when we were able to choose P/F without having any penalties. We are still undergoing the same circumstances, with even more confusion than in the spring. The P/F option would offer a crutch for those who feel that they are not performing as well as they would have if in person. It would offer a form of stress relief for many students struggling with the many downsides that have come with getting an online education.

Students of University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), let’s rise up and get the results we deserve from the university. They delivered last semester, let’s see what they can do this semester.