Agnes Scott has announced that it is reopening for the fall. I’m nervous and excited, but mostly nervous. I, like many other Agnes Scott students, have been learning from home and I’m worried about the transition back into life on campus. For the better part of a year, I haven’t had more than two people in the same living space as me, I have had very minimal interaction with anyone outside of my home, and I was very happy not having to eat cafeteria food. Evans food just does not compare to a homemade meal.
I am a very introverted person. My first year and a half on campus were big adjustments to a new place and new people. Though this fall won’t be my first time on campus, the thought of navigating a flood of social interaction after a year of isolation sounds terrifying. And don’t even get me started on having a new roommate. Though sharing a dorm room is a step up from me sleeping on my sister’s couch as I did this past fall, having to find a roommate and work out all the kinks of living with another person is going to be a bit of a process. There’s also the fact that I’m going to have to interact with people in real life as opposed to little boxes on my laptop screen.
Then there’s the food. I don’t think anyone missed Evans’ food. The ridiculous amount of salt in the food there almost got me put back on blood pressure medication. It got so bad that at one point I just started taking the shuttle to the grocery store and buying my own groceries instead of eating Evans food. My parents were glad that my health was thriving, but were less than thrilled when Agnes Scott refused to let me drop my meal plan. We love Agnes and their corporate, profit-seeking relationship with Aramark.
Though campus reopening has been the cause of some recent anxiety, I will be happy to get away from my parents and stop spending most of my day staring at a screen. I miss having class discussions with real people rather than the virtual representations of people. I miss walking to class and actually being outside. Who knows how much closer to “normal” the upcoming school year will be, but I suppose all of us, including my very introverted self, will have to roll with the punches and embrace all the new challenges and opportunities that it may bring.