Dreaming of Westwood used to carry me through the pandemic. As I watched my senior year deteriorate, with prom and graduation succumbing to the looming coronavirus threat, my desire to flee to UCLA intensified. My mind spun ideas of the independent, exciting new life awaiting me in Los Angeles while my body remained cooped up in my family house in San Francisco. When UCLA announced the widespread cancellation of housing offers, I was forced to confront the loss of my Westwood dream.
Now, over halfway through fall quarter, I have come to be thankful for this unusual start to my college experience.
I first began to appreciate the upsides to the virtual school year when reviewing my syllabi. I had expected my college classes to be a major step up from high school, and I was nervous about how I would handle the workload and high standards. Under normal circumstances, these struggles might be compounded by the other challenges faced by freshmen. There would be dining halls to navigate, buildings to get lost in, communal bathrooms to cope with and many other adjustments that come with living independently for the first time (laundry won’t mysteriously wash itself!). Virtual learning has meant that I can devote all of my focus to getting my academic bearings from the comfort of my own home. I’ve avoided distractions like loud roommates and parties, and I’ve focused all of my spare time on getting ahead in my classes and forming solid study habits that will serve me throughout college.
Furthermore, rather than beginning college life with only a few high school friends, online classes have offered me the opportunity to connect with other UCLA students before ever setting foot on campus. I am already in contact over social media with fellow freshmen in my major, and I’ve gotten to bond with them over our shared experiences since the pandemic broke out. My classes have created massive GroupMe’s for forming study groups, and I’ve met loads of Bruins with similar interests at virtual clubs. When I do finally reach the promised land of Westwood, I will have study partners for late-night library cram seshes and friends from Instagram group chats for grabbing a bite on the Hill. I’ll be able to jump right into the swing of Bruin life and skip over the awkward phase of not knowing anyone on campus.
Perhaps most importantly, not leaving for Westwood has meant more time with my family. My older sister graduated from UCLA this June and has come back to San Francisco for a gap year before medical school. Staying at home this quarter means we have been living together for the first time in four years, and I’m so thankful we’ve had the chance to reunite and get back to our old shenanigans. If the dorms were still open, we would have swapped places and just missed each other.
Each day I find a new, tiny silver lining in this unprecedented school year. From avoiding LA’s early fall heat to not risking homesickness, there is actually a lot to be thankful for. What originally seemed like a major disappointment has grown into an unexpected gift. For now, I can keep daydreaming of Westwood and remain content with the knowledge that I’ll make it there when it’s safe.