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
IKEA announces decision to close popular Greater Manchester site
Emily Sergeant
It’s the end of the road for one of IKEA’s popular Greater Manchester sites.
The Swedish furniture giant has announced its decision to close its ‘Plan and Order Point’ over in Stockport in a couple of weeks time.
The store – which is located in Stockport town centre’s Merseyway Shopping Centre – launched to huge success back in March 2023, and at the time, was the second of this ‘test and trial’ format to open in the UK, becoming a smaller space dedicated to kitchen and home planning, as well as ordering items.
IKEA says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ which plan to take this conceptual format in a direction to ‘better suit the needs of UK customers’.
IKEA is closing its close popular Stockport site this month / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
Since the opening of the Stockport Plan and Order Point, IKEA claims it has seen an increased demand for Click and Collect services, a desire by customers to shop a smaller selection of home furnishing accessories, as well as the ability to return goods to physical IKEA units, and this is all something which the current location is unable to offer.
Learning from this change in consumer habits, the company says its future Plan and Order Point openings – including in those in other northern cities like Hull and York – will offer these services.
IKEA says it also remains ‘committed’ to trialling new formats, such as its upcoming small stores, one of which will open in nearby Chester later this year.
Luckily for IKEA fans, the retailer has confirmed that its major Greater Manchester store in Ashton-under-Lyne, as well as the neighbouring store in Warrington, will remain open as normal, offering all the services available at Stockport and more.
The Swedish furniture says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ about customer needs / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
In addition to the upcoming opening of a smaller store in Chester, IKEA has revealed that the North West continues to be an area of interest for future expansion.
“After careful evaluation, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the IKEA Plan and Order Point at Merseyway Shopping Centre,” explained Salma Azad, who is one of IKEA’s Area Managers.
“In the two years since opening, we’ve taken valuable learnings, including how our customers prefer to meet IKEA, and we’ll take these insights into future openings, to serve shoppers in a more impactful way.”
Thanks to last year’s Click and Collect expansion, Stockport residents can now pick up purchases from Tesco Extra Stockport and Tesco Extra Stretford, as well as the Manchester store and the upcoming small store in Chester.
Stockport Plan and Order Point’s final day of trading will be on 16 June.
Guide Dogs desperately needs people in Greater Manchester to ‘foster’ its dogs while they’re in training
Emily Sergeant
Guide Dogs desperately needs Greater Manchester residents to take on the volunteering role of Fosterers.
The charity – which has been providing mobility support, and raising awareness of and campaigning for the blind and partially sighted since 1934 – relies on the help of its network of its more than 14,000 volunteers across the UK to help it make a difference and improve the lives of those with visual impairments.
And Fosterers are a vital part of the journey for the hundreds of dogs trained each year.
As a Training Dog Fosterer, you’ll be giving a dog in training a loving home whilst they embark on their journey to become a guide dog.
You’ll get to see the progress your furry companion is making in their training and be a vital part of their journey, all without the commitment of looking after a dog full time.
Guide Dogs North West – which is based at the state-of-the-art training school in Atherton – has taken to social media this week to issue a desperate plea for new Fosterers to join its volunteer network in our region, and is calling on dog lovers who can commit to the important role to get in touch.
“Calling dog lovers around Atherton,” the post on Instagram reads.
“We desperately need volunteer Fosterers to look after our trainee guide dogs during the evenings and weekends. We take care of the training and costs, such as food and vet bills, and you take care of the play time and cuddles.”
One of the most crucial parts of the Fosterer role is being able to drop the dog off between 8-9am and pick them up between 5-6pm at a Guide Dogs site or a site near a trainers’ home each weekday – which means you will likely need to live nearby to the Atherton training centre or be fully-committed to travelling.
Guide Dogs desperately needs people in Greater Manchester to ‘foster’ its dogs while they’re in training / Credit: Guide Dogs
What will you get in return? Well, volunteering is a two-way street, so in return for your time, you’ll get a dedicated volunteer manager / key contact who will help you settle in and support you during your time with the charity.
And of course, you’ll get lots of cuddles from the new four-legged friend you’ve welcomed into your home.
This could be a chance to play your part in changing lives.
The Manc -
15th January 2021 
