I started my first year at college on the floor of my childhood bedroom. Like so many others, I did not have the privilege of being on campus during the fall of 2020, and I accepted that. Something that never crossed my mind during that year of online school was how difficult it would be returning to in-person learning.
For most of the year, all I could do was rave about how excited I was to be back in person and to finally be on campus, but as my first in-person semester started, I couldn’t help but worry I had set myself up for disappointment.
I had this idea in my head about what college was going to look like, but instead of experiencing this idealized version, I became extremely overwhelmed. I had spent so long unlearning my high school routine and relearning an online college routine that I completely forgot what college would be like face to face.
Online, I had mostly asynchronous classes, so I was able to do my work whenever I felt like it. I had very flexible dates to get things done, and I loved that I could make it work around my life. I was able to wake up five minute before a class and just turn on my computer instead of having to leave my apartment an hour before just so I could trek across campus in the rain.
During the first week of classes, I was exhausted. I forgot what it was like to have to be around so many people all day long. I had only a handful of friends, and I had no idea how to stay focused for long periods of time.
I needed a routine, and I had no idea how to get there.
Like most things in life, I just needed to trust the process, and my routine started to fall into place over time. I figured out where my classes were and what homework I could get done in the breaks between those classes. I made new friends, set dates to watch Bachelor in Paradise with my neighbors from across the hall.
The transition into in person learning was a rocky start, and I am still trying to get my bearings, but I’m learning a little bit more every day. Hopefully in a few months I will be shocked by the fact that I even second guessed myself in the first place.