The COVID-19 pandemic caused huge changes in the functioning of societies and affected many aspects of life, including higher education. The restrictions introduced after the outbreak of the pandemic have also forced higher education institutions to switch to a remote form of teaching. The aim of this article is to present the results of a study on whether and how distance learning has affected students' motivation to learn, and how perceptions of this form of education have changed after the return to full-time teaching. However, the aim was not only to establish this fact, but also to find out the opinions of the respondents on this topic in the context of A. Maslow's pyramid of needs. The survey research method used for the study was the CAWI technique. The surveyed population consisted of 415 respondents - university students. The research was conducted in December 2022, when the students returned to study within the walls of the university after a year and a half of studying remotely. The sample selection was random. The results of the study show that students considered the remote form of classes as having a negative impact on their motivation to study. After a detailed analysis of the conducted research in the context of A. Maslow's pyramid of needs, proposals were developed for the improvement of remote learning. At each level, factors and aspects were proposed that could be a guide to improving this form of education.