Coming to school, I feel that everyone could acknowledge that this was not going to be a normal semester. However, I do not think it really set in how different it was going to be until we all got here. On move in day, we each were given a set of 50 masks and a set of new rules that were going to be heavily enforced. These things were employed so that us students would be able to keep our community safe because during a global pandemic, that is what the world should be doing: working together in order to save lives. But nevertheless, these changes to our usual college activities seemed small and doable as long as it meant that we were able to go back onto campus and have a sense of normalcy again. Something I never anticipated though, as a healthy twenty something year old, was the heightened anxiety that was going to come with going to a large college during a pandemic. Of course the thought of contracting Coronavirus and endangering others has always been in the back of mind, and I think that my excessive hand washing and hand sanitizer usage is just going to be something that sticks with me forever now. But, the idea of sitting next to someone in class who may have the virus or being served food in a dining hall with someone who may have the virus were thoughts I never considered until these worries became a reality. You are following all of the protocols you were instructed to follow, but somehow you are now in quarantine because a stranger you have never spoken to is positive for Coronavirus. I think that is what worried me the most- that another stranger’s actions can affect your life directly.
Until recently, these worries have been dictating my life. Some days I would just want to stay inside and not leave my apartment because the fear of getting Coronavirus and passing it to someone else was too much for me to want to risk. However, one day I realized that these worries are valid and that I am not the only one with them as well. Talking with my friends about my concerns has helped a lot, and I have realized I am not alone. I also realized that I needed to start taking care of myself, both emotionally and physically in order to get through this tough semester. Along with the Coronavirus stress, the stress of online school and professors piling on work because they think we have spare free time seems to make it worse.
Though in 2020 there seems to be a multitude of things to be worried about, I know that I just need to take a deep breath and look at my issues at hand. We have been managing the coronavirus since March, and we are managing it still now. I think about the things that make me happy- my cat, my family, and my friends and know that they are going to be there for me through this tough time, just as I will be there for them. The pandemic has added stress and anxiety to every single persons’ life. So though these worries may always be in the back of my mind, I have learned to just talk it out. Usually your worries are shared with people you are close with and recognizing you are not alone can really help with the coping process. Oh- and wear a mask because they work.