The world almost stopped for a few long minutes when COVID-19 hit, and lockdowns were instituted in almost every country in the world.
Then slowly, a new normal started emerging. College and high school students were enrolled in online classes so things would start working almost as before again, and zoom meetings became the order of the day for the employed. It was like discovering a whole new world that had always been there.
Now, one of the surprising events that followed the pandemic was the increased university enrollment for undergraduate degrees in the UK. Through UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, 514,020 applicants of all ages have taken the first step to higher education. That is a 1.6% increase as compared to 2019. What informed these changes and especially now with a pandemic redefining learning as we knew it? Here are a few thoughts on how schooling has changed.
Technology is Showing Off
Pre-COVID, classes were one-on-one and available online options were not favored too much. That meant students had to find time in their schedule for class, something that isn’t always easy with all the demands of modern life. Currently, the situation has shifted towards online learning and more universities are offering flexible schedules. In most cases, even if you cannot attend the class, you can review Zoom call recording later in order to catch up.
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Of course, there have been some negative consequences of lockdown as well. For example, a lot of students are feeling depressed because of the pandemics and the pressure of assignments they have does not help. It may seem that we all have more time to spare now as you won’t need to spend time commuting, however, students’ workload has increased a lot as well. Many students participate in TikTok challenges or try new hobbies to cope with mental issues, and against that background it’s a true relief there is the ability to now order free of plagiarism research paper help from EduBirdie regardless of where you are in the world. Writing assignments is always one of those tough parts of college and so having a professional do it for you makes it possible to focus on your mental health a bit more.
Speaking of technology taking off in the education sector, educators have been put to task to make their classes even more engaging, which was an issue with this form of learning before. Students are encouraged to express their creativity through videos and other presentation methods when they hand in assignments virtually. Peer-to-peer discussion groups are also taking off well where students can hold discussions regardless of their location in the world as long as they are connected to the internet.
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Education Gives People Choices
As more and more young people move from seeking employment to focusing on building their own enterprises, they find more reasons to get university education. They no longer just want the best job on Wall Street, but a chance to run a successful business, which has better chances of happening if they are informed. They want finance degrees to show them how to handle money and growth and art degrees to validate their talents.
Even if a person chooses to become an entrepreneur and open their small business, education provides knowledge and connections required to succeed. With a strong academic background, the options are limitless. Though the economy may not support the creation of jobs at the moment, this situation won’t last forever. Smart people know there is no better time to prepare for the future than the present.
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It’s What we Do
Why go to university? Because it is some sort of rite of passage. If you didn’t go to university, there is little to do with your early 20s. At this time, young adults are trying to define how they want the rest of their lives to look like, and so transitioning from home to college is a big deal that everyone who yearns to experience it should.
While there is a lot of learning, writing assignments and papers, and attending lessons, the college also allows you to grow. There will be new friends to make, clubs to join, mistakes to make and learn from, and generally the time to find your true north. With COVID, students may not have the true experience until the vaccine roll-out allows everyone to gather again without too much fear of the outcome. Still, that doesn’t limit one from making friends and enjoying this new phase. So, young people are going to university because they need this transition. It’s part of growing up.
The Future of University Education
It is still a little too early to decide how the future will look like, but we know for sure online classes will never be looked down upon again. The course of this pandemic has taught us what can be achieved with good internet connections and tech advancement. There could be renewed interest in techie courses as there is still too much to explore there.
Business
Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium
Danny Jones
Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortiumhas been announced.
Well, sort of.
Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.
It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.
Salford City announces that the Club has been acquired by a new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, and includes US-based businessman Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies who will both serve as new Co-Chairs of the Club’s board.
Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.
One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.
Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.
While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.
As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.
Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.
“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.
“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.
Deliveroo is set for a multi-billion dollar buyout from a takeaway rival
Danny Jones
UK takeaway service Deliveroo is set for a massive takeover by a fellow delivery business rival, said to be worth several billion.
The British multinational is known nationwide, occupying one of the biggest market shares alongside competitors Just Eat and Uber Eats, but now the takeaway delivery service is set to be swallowed up by an even bigger brand based in the US.
As reported on Tuesday, 6 May, American delivery firm DoorDash – the biggest of its kind in the States – looks set to complete an estimated £2.9 billion buyout, which will see Deliveroo folded into their growing global portfolio.
This massive deal will see the company’s presence in more than 40 countries further consolidated, already serving somewhere in the region of 50 million customers every month.
US meal delivery firm DoorDash will buy British rival Deliveroo for $3.85 billion. The acquisition will help DoorDash grow its market share in Europe and compete against Just Eat and Uber Eats. Read more: https://t.co/x4dSgRp8Flpic.twitter.com/oeE44CjMYN
According to the likes of Reuters, Bloomberg and BBC, DoorDash is offering 180p per share, which is a 44% increase on Deliveroo’s share price from the point when initial takeover talks were made public in April 2025.
Founded by chief executive Will Shu back in 2013, Deliveroo is now considered one of the big three in the food delivery industry’s UK scene, but is set to get much bigger under the DoorDash umbrella.
As for DoorDash, CEO and co-founder Tony Xu went on to add: “Coming together with teams that have similar visions and values accelerates our work to achieve that mission. Deliveroo is just such a team and one that I have long admired.
“Like DoorDash, Deliveroo is obsessively focused on their customers – consumers, merchants, and riders. They work day in and day out to improve their consumer value proposition, bring new services to local businesses, and offer flexibility and support to riders.”
The Manc -
15th January 2021 
