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Lynn | Career

What I Took Away From Being a College Student In a Pandemic

Kayla Meltzer Student Contributor, Lynn University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Lynn chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Out of all my years of being in school, this year was my hardest. Yes, academics play a role in why this year was difficult for me but it was more situational. I am in my prime time days. I go to college in Boca Raton, Florida, which is located five minutes from the beach. Yes, sounds like a dream yet we are living in a world where places are either out of business or are limited to a certain amount of people. 

Everyone is wearing a mask and trying to not catch the virus. Our world does not feel like the same happy beautiful place. I am one of those people who cannot do “change.” Anytime during a situation where something has changed my life feels incomplete. I have a tough time adjusting to the “new” situation so you could only imagine how I feel, and I am learning that it is okay.

"THE WORLD IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED" movie sign
Photo by Edwin Hooper from Unsplash

The one thing that I took from this semester is learning to not only adjust to the “new world” but to also adjust mentally. I find that taking care of myself first will help me do better in life. 

My second semester of college for this year has been a little bit of a struggle on my part. Just like any other student, I find waking up at 8am just does not suit me, especially cause I have a hard time falling asleep at night. My classes are 2 hours and 30 minutes long which is a lot to pay attention to. Not only are these classes so long but they give so much work! To add, I also have a job where I work a few hours during the week just to keep myself busy–what helps me throughout the day is keeping myself busy. This has helped me adjust a little easier into the new world we are living in.  

My main tip is creating a schedule for yourself. I would go to class and do some work but I also leave room to take care of myself. Whether it is working out, laying by the pool, or just journaling, I found that all this helps. It is a way for my brain to recharge so I can get back to my academics and not feel so stressed out. 

Woman doing yoga with plants and candles
Photo by Zen Bear Yoga from Unsplash

I can say this was not easy and some days were the best and other days were not and I learned that it is okay to not have only good days. Having a bad day just leaves more room for happy days, and it makes me appreciate them even more. 

It took me a little bit to understand and adjust to this “new” world and I can say that I am doing fantastic! I just take one day at a time. I try to focus on what makes me happy and doing this helps me adapt to this world as a better, happier, and accepting person. I learned that change is not always going to be negative and that it can be a great thing, and it has been. I am going to be a Junior in college next year and not knowing what our world will be like in the Fall I feel confident that I can handle whatever comes my way because of how I was able to handle myself for this Spring semester. 

Kayla is currently a Senior at Lynn University majoring in Communications  with a focus on social media. Kayla spends a lot of her time participating in a variety of Lynn’s media outlets. Kayla has co hosted a weekly segment for the Lynn radio and for the past year has been a contributor on Her Campus Lynn social media and wrirting for the magazine.