I’m sure everyone remembers the day Columbia sent out the disappointing email announcing it would go remote for the fall 2020 semester. This meant housing was also canceled, and well… that was very bad news for me.
I flew in from Shanghai, China, just two days before the announcement, and I had just started quarantine. I was shocked. Scared. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t go back home to Shanghai because of my American citizenship and the travel bans, so I was trapped in the city with nowhere to go and nowhere to stay.
Thankfully, after a week or so of panicking, I was given emergency on-campus housing and still got to move into Columbia’s dorms!
I knew, of course, that dorm life wouldn’t be normal. I wouldn’t have any roommates this year, and understandably, I’d have to abide by a lot more safety precautions. I would have to get tested every week, show a green health code wherever I went, and make sure to social distance in public spaces. Nevertheless, I was excited and extremely thankful to have somewhere to live.
On move-in day, I had to first go to Barnard’s campus to get my COVID-19 test and then quarantine in my dorm until the results came out. In the dorms, Columbia welcomed each student with a box of snacks, a care package, Dunkin’ iced coffee, and a bunch of other beverages. Everyone in the residential hall, staff included, was so sweet and it was nice that my stay had taken such a positive turn.
As a first-year, adjusting to such an independent life was a little scary. It could be years before I get to see my family again. I miss being able to just yell at my brother for no particular reason. Or tease my mom about her strange fashion style. Now, as my eyes wander my tiny dorm room, all I see is me. There are no traces of my mom’s perfume or my grandparent’s Chinese herbs. It’s just… me.
Living on campus at 600 W. 113th St., or Nussbaum, has been a really interesting experience. I guess the worst thing about the dorms is the cockroaches, but that’s just New York for you. The first time my suitemates and I saw a roach was when we were playing cards and one suddenly darted across the floor, right through the card stack. We all leapt to our feet and started screaming and running as far away as possible. We scrambled about trying to catch it and kill it, but I’m pretty sure the roach was as scared of us as we were of it, as it went into hiding for the next 30 minutes. My friend ended up stepping on it and squashing it. Not a pretty sight.
Unfortunately, I have to see roaches every time I go down to the basement (aka their lair) to do laundry. One of my suitemates said she saw one fly in her room. I still live in fear that one is watching me as I sleep.
The best part about living on campus is, well, the campus! When my dorm room gets too stuffy, I head to campus to work and just appreciate the fact that I get to be here. It’s absolutely beautiful, and I just love seeing people do normal things like walk their dogs or play with their kids during such an abnormal time. Of course, I make sure to wear my mask and social distance properly. It’s been a few weeks of living in the city and so far things have been going smoothly. I actually made a YouTube video vlogging my experience!
I know this isn’t the school year we had all imagined, but I hope everyone is making the best of their situations and staying safe wherever they are. I’m looking forward to the day things return to normal and the campus really comes back to life.