College can be a difficult time for everyone. Trying to juggle school, extra-curriculars, friends, and everything else that college entails can be really challenging. Trying to accomplish all of this in the middle of a pandemic; however, can seem impossible.
Because everything has been virtual for almost a year now, it can be difficult to make connections and have that human interaction that we all need. College is the time to form friendships and meet new and interesting people, but without the ability to interact with others in person, this can be extremely challenging. My advice to get over this barrier would be to put yourself out there anyways. Most organizations on college campuses are still holding events virtually. This might seem intimidating because you may not know anyone attending, but luckily you can join from the comfort of your own space and get to know people as best you can through a screen. You can even reach out to people afterwards to see if they would want to text or message with you.
Besides making new friends, the pandemic has made it difficult to stay in touch with the friends that we already do have. I think an important thing to do is create a bubble of friends that you can ensure are being safe in terms of COVID and only see them. This may seem isolating, but it has actually helped me get even closer with my small group of friends. We all only see each other, which has been really comforting for someone who is freaked out about the pandemic. We have been able to bond in a way that we hadn’t before the pandemic, which has been really nice. Making sure you have this kind of support system is really crucial, especially right now.
It is easy to look at the negatives and focus on the ways that COVID has affected our lives for the worse. If I think about all the things that I have missed out on in my last year of college because of the pandemic it makes me really sad. However, trying to focus on the positives and being grateful for all the wonderful things I have in my life makes everything a lot more manageable.