It has been over a year since COVID-19 shut down most of our college campuses and forced us to continue our education via Zoom. As I enter my third and (hopefully) final exam week in this hybrid/online format, I wanted to piece together some of my unique experiences and thoughts about this year.
At the beginning, I saw the pandemic as an interesting opportunity for self-care, alone time, and the chance to focus on the things I enjoy. It gradually became more difficult to find the motivation I used to have for my academics and everyday tasks, so it turned out to be one of the most mentally/emotionally draining times of my life. Despite the loneliness I felt and the troubles I endured, I still managed to persevere. I completed a remote internship, upheld my campus leadership positions, joined new activities, and accomplished things I never thought were possible pre-coronavirus.
These trying times have taught me valuable lessons about life. No matter how much I felt like I was struggling, I ended up gaining more strength and self-confidence in the end. Change is never easy, but COVID-19 has allowed me to embrace new situations head-on.
I can only hope that others who have suffered more than I will finally have a transition back to a somewhat “normal” life very soon. I do believe we will all need to support one another as we attempt to resume in-person happenings; we can only handle so much alone. Here’s to one wild ride of a year and to hoping for a better future!