When you think of campus life before the virus, it seems like a very distant memory of being social and not even thinking about wearing a mask. When you think of life now, you think of 6-foot markers, wearing a mask everywhere you go and making sure you have your Pumpkin Spice-smelling hand sanitizer in your backpack.
COVID-19 hit the United States in early March of this year. Everyone on campus went home for spring break thinking they would come back to school and resume a normal life. However, things do not always go as planned. COVID-19 caused most universities and schools to move their academic semester to online learning. For some, online learning is way more beneficial to learning in person. You don’t have to worry about the pressure of raising your hand in class and getting the answer wrong, for when it was online, it made things better for some people. They had more room and time to think about the lesson they are learning.
Personally, I did a lot better learning online than in person. I did not like to sit in a classroom and stress over if I knew an answer or not. Another reason why I preferred online learning to in person was that I saw my family every day. My mom, my dad, my brother and I quarantined together at home. My brother had to do his semester at home too, so it was really fun to see him every day when I did my schoolwork.
Before the coronavirus was a thing, we all lived a normal life. College students would go to class and sit closer than 6 feet. We also knew life, before COVID-19, as going to parties and large social events with out even thinking how many people will be there.
Now, the virus has impacted the student’s semesters, but not in a good way, I suppose. All the students must wear a mask everywhere they go to protect others from coughs or contamination. Also, parties with more than 10 people are strictly not a good idea, which is hard for some college students to fathom. College is about studying, but it is also about getting out of your comfort zone and meeting people. But that is very hard to do now thanks to the coronavirus.
Even when people eat on campus it is a very different situation than before. Before, you could easily go into the dining hall and find a random spot and eat. Now, you must do a reservation system and pick a time you are going to sit in the dining hall and eat. It is a way to control the crowds. Also around campus, there are white tents where people can sit and eat to-go meals.
Students also must wear a mask everywhere they go, from sitting in Post 95 to sitting in the library. For two weeks, all in person classes were moved online due to the increased number of positive cases of coronavirus.
A lot of students are also quarantined after they get tested for the virus to keep themselves and other students on campus safe. So, online learning does come in handy when you are stuck in your room all day.
Sure, things are not the way they were in the past, but at least we are at school. A lot of universities throughout the country are doing at-home learning. So, think on the bright side: you’re here with your friends even though you have to stay a tiger apart.
