Contact tracing is essential to help monitor and control the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus. Many universities across the United States have developed and implemented contact tracing programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this viewpoint article, we characterized and reflected on the unique challenges of contact tracing in college students based on our extensive experience at a large urban private university. Three challenges of contact tracing were identified, including 1) contact tracers' difficulty building trust with students, 2) students' unwillingness to disclose information due to fear of consequences, and 3) students acting carelessly and not following guidelines. We made recommendations to address these challenges to enhance the practice of contact tracing to protect the health of this young adult population.
Keywords: COVID-19; Contact tracing; college students; pandemic.