Apparently there’s a reason the halls are so crowded!
Even without actual population statistics, a reason for such crowding on the University of Regina campus is easy to find, whether it be the big white constructions walls narrowing the hallways or the fact that it’s another year farther away from the beginning of the global pandemic and people are getting back into in-person learning.
Though it’s only November and the students are really only just beginning to see the effects of this population surge on campus and classes, there are a few obvious things they’ve noticed. Still, the facts are there; according to Education News Canada in an article from Sept 5, there were 17,409 students registered at the University of Regina on the first day of classes for the fall 2024 term. This is 524 more students than there were registered on the first day in the fall of 2023.
While it is the school’s 50th anniversary, there are some concerns and questions about this surge of new students. Jocelyn Heroux, a third-year French education student, said that she thinks “the hallways seem more crowded, and the other area where I’ve been frustrated has been parking.” Heroux continues, “I park in lot eight. Lot eight is a large lot, and people are parking in the ditches between lots because there aren’t enough spots.”
Nikki Ocreto, a second-year education student, agreed that everywhere is busy. Leaving the library, she noticed that the hallway was incredibly congested and that the amount of people around was surprising, even going into the elevators.
There is now an obvious question that must be asked: Why so many students? What has changed between now and last year?
Of course, a number of factors must be in play, but a good place to start is with the enrolment system itself. When asked about the U of R’s acceptance rate, Heroux had a memory to share: “I remember applying for universities in grade 12 and the U of R was everybody’s backup because they knew that if they didn’t get into the ones with lower enrolment rates, there would be the U of R to fall back on.”
Ocreto stated that she believes the high school average required for acceptance is not high enough and that it does not leave enough room for success. “The difference between high school and university – I was getting 90s in high school and in university I’m getting like 70s and 80s and I’m like ‘This is amazing,’” she said.
She agreed that if her grade has dropped in such a way since high school, the grades of those who get in with a 60 per cent average only have room for improvement, which can be difficult to obtain in university.
This means that there is a larger chance of student struggle. As for Ocreto, she has been told stories by her friends about the school’s mental health support services and their inadequacy. “This sucks because, as students, we’re going to reach burnout, and hearing all of those negative things makes it seem like we don’t really have that resource.”
Heroux shared that, being a French education student, accessing tutoring is an almost integral part of the program. “Because you’re doing work in your second language there are a lot more errors that tend to be made, and so a lot of my colleagues have looked into getting tutoring,” she shared. “I haven’t personally, and that’s kind of just because it’s very difficult to get the help.”
Because so many professors recommend getting tutoring but give assignments out about a week before the due date, scheduling becomes extremely difficult. In terms of academic advising, Heroux also said that the advising for her specific faculty was helpful but had difficulty receiving specific answers to her questions when accessing general or drop-in advising.
