I sat at the kitchen table back in early May, talking with my sister and her boyfriend. I had just received disheartening news about dorming for the upcoming semester. At that moment, I felt emotionally defeated. My first year did not pan out how I had pictured it would. I struggled to find my place among the students at my college, I had dorming issues for a large portion of the year, and I felt that the administration did not care about me as a member of the school community.
I remember that moment vividly. As I sat and discussed my predicament, I blurted out, “I don’t want to go back,” and broke down crying. I knew I shouldn’t be crying about having to go back to college; it was time for me to start looking at different schools.
My sister and her boyfriend both attended Stonehill. Naturally, they gave a good impression of the school and I decided to apply to it. After much contemplation (and a stressful summer), I made the decision to go to Stonehill for the fall.
I’ve been here for two months now. I love the campus, everyone is genuinely nice, I’ve joined a few clubs, and I like my classes for the most part. However, the campus sometimes feels like a ghost town. Many people leave on the weekends; many people are doing school remotely. We are not allowed in other dorms, class interaction (other than the dreaded breakout room) is limited, and many clubs either do not meet or they do so over zoom.
In other words, it’s lonely.
The pandemic has put an invisible barrier between humans—in the workplace, in communities, and in schools. Our opportunities to interact with others have been drastically limited. Everyone is fatigued by the pandemic, and everyone is wondering “when will this be over?”
However, through diligent efforts on behalf of the school and the students, Stonehill has kept the coronavirus in check. Unlike many other schools, Stonehill has not had to send the students home, and the school is already looking towards the spring in a positive manner.
I hope that by next fall I can smile at my professors without a mask, physically go to a club, and introduce myself to other students without the fear of giving or contracting this novel virus. This may have been an odd semester—limited in its opportunities—but Stonehill still did a great job at making me feel welcomed into the community, even under tough circumstances.
I may not have had the typical college experience, but I am comfortable with where I am at and know that it can only get better. As far as semesters go, I would say that my first one at Stonehill has been a success, and I look forward to my journey as a Stonehill student in the semesters to come.