Spring 2020 was to be my second semester at Glenville State College. Everyone struggles when they leave home, and I’m no exception. I missed my family, friends, and the familiarity of my hometown, but by the end of my first semester, I had adjusted to the flow of life on campus. I thought I was ready for the spring semester, and everything it would throw at me. And then the pandemic hit.
Unexpected Changes
Like everyone else, my life was turned upside down in a matter of days. My spring break went from a week to two weeks, and then I was told I wasn’t going back to campus at all. In the following weeks, I’ve made plenty of adjustments: I packed up my dorm and got used to missing my friends. Most importantly, I’ve made the transition to online classes until the semester is over.
I’m not saying anything new when I say the transition has been tough-- ask almost any college student and they’ll say the same thing. When you’re used to in-class discussions and one-on-one time with your instructor, sitting alone at the kitchen table to do your work can be a little bit of a shock to the system. Additionally, I’m an art major, and two of my classes this spring took place in a studio, so the switch to 100% online work has been a major change.
Not everything is negative. With the online classes, professors have become much more flexible about deadlines, and I’m free to do my work at the best time for me. (No more 9 a.m. classes!) Like my classmates, I’ve been given more freedom in my classes alongside my new responsibilities. Even though the changes have been difficult, when Fall 2020 rolls around, I hope that I carry some of the things I’ve learned with me.
Zoe Yates -Part-time content writer. Full-time college student. Adapting to changes while witnessing history.