Harry Ashworth is expected to be in the last period of his first year at Oxford University studying music.
Instead, he is stuck at his parents' home in South London, bent over a laptop, listening to lessons via Zoom.
He does not believe that the sudden and dramatic change in circumstances has influenced his learning too much, but he lacks some aspects of university life.
"I'm in a jazz orchestra and it's not really happening now. And I would have played at summer dances, so there are social events that I missed."
Some of his more practical lessons have been reduced.
Academically he feels less motivated "which makes me less stressed but also flatter".
"Psychologically, when you're at home it's different. When I'm in my tutor's office, I feel a little more inspired."
Together with students all over the world, Harry is getting used to the realities of online learning as part of the global blocks in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The fact that the institutions have switched to a digital model in a matter of weeks is impressive, thinks Kathryn Skelton, responsible for the transformation of FutureLearn, an online learning platform owned by Open University.
Universities have "moved Heaven and Earth" to get where they are now but continues to say that "his heart sinks" when people think that lecturing through Zoom is enough.
"Educators need to take a step back and not ask" how can I replicate what I do in class ", but" how can I redesign this learning experience to take advantage of a wide range of technologies that can offer a learning experience complete - not just the delivery of information? ' "
His recommendations include:
- make a plan
- think of different ways of providing information such as podcasts and articles
- social commitment is the key; provoke a conversation and allow students to learn from each other
Shai Reshef, president of the University of the People (UofPeople) online only agrees.
"Many universities have closed and asked professors to move the lessons online and I think many more universities should actually go in this direction, but they must do it the right way. Don't let the teachers talk for two hours. Adopt the whole learning pedagogy online. "
In UofPeople there are small daily lessons with a lot of interaction between the students.
Refugee students or others who can never afford a traditional university education are assigned weekly homework and homework. The eight-week modular courses are free and students pay only to take the end of course exams. A year of teaching costs $ 1,000 (£ 824).
UofPeople has seen a huge increase in numbers, with 7000 new students being online for the new term.
"Many come to us because of the pandemic. We have students in quarantine who believe that the best way to spend their time is to go back to school. We have students whose schools have closed and come to us to continue their studies and can return to their schools when they reopen.
"And we have a lot of people who have been laid off and they realize that to get another job they have to study to change careers."
FutureLearn has also seen the demand for online courses increase by over three times. Like UofPeople, there is interest in learning new business skills. He also saw a growing interest in English language courses, mental health awareness such as awareness and even courses designed to increase people's knowledge of coronavirus.
If there is a positive side to this crisis, it is that more people will try online learning, Skelton thinks.
"That traditional pattern of 18 to 21 year olds who go to university, live in theaters, is simply not feasible for many people - those with care responsibilities or those with financial restrictions."
Once the pandemic ends, Reshef thinks that universities should consider a hybrid of online and traditional education, with the first year spent studying online and the next two at school.
"It is not clear that universities will be open next year and even if they are open they will have to take social removal measures. Online is there and can continue to function smoothly," he said.
Online learning has had a mixed history. So-called Moocs (huge open online courses) were seen as revolutionary when they were first introduced, but retention rates are low. According to a MIT study, the courses had a dropout rate of approximately 96% on average over five years.
For students hoping to start a traditional university trip in the fall, there is still much uncertainty.
The University of Manchester has already decided to provide most of its online learning in the fall period and similar discussions are taking place in universities across the UK and beyond.
But for some courses, like medicine, online only will be complicated.
Holly Leedham has just turned 18 and was looking forward to starting a new chapter in life at the University of Liverpool in the fall, studying law with accounting. Now this has been questioned.
"I would be really disappointed since the experience of making friends would not be there. I think we should pay full college tuition and being home is not fair, and I hope it would be reduced in some way."
But he said enrolling in university - even if it were online - would be better than putting it off.
"I could even be at university while the world recovers from what I imagine to be a frightening recession."
Ellie Yeomans, who had hoped to study sport management at Nottingham Trent University, is equally pragmatic.
"I suppose the first term could be online and that would be embarrassing for everyone, but I think everyone just has to get along."
