I think it is very apparent that the pandemic took a huge toll on our mental health and overall wellbeing. The past few quarters in school have been rough on everyone and it’s sad to see just how much things have changed. Having to find the motivation to get up and sit in front of a computer for hours at a time, going to work, coming home to more computer time and very rarely getting to see your friends – it’s hard! It’s crazy how most of us just “left the nest” and were ready for life on our own and now we find ourselves back in our childhood bedroom as if nothing ever happened. It’s especially hard for those, like me, who had to move back home into their Mexican household.
Growing up in Mexican culture we are taught just how important family and relationships with those close to us are. We enjoy each other’s presence and greatly value the time we spend together and the memories we make, because at the end of the day, that’s all we have! However, with online school it can sometimes be hard to manage family time with school and work time. Midterm week is when I really noticed just how much of a toll lack of family time has on me. My parents typically don’t understand that when I say I have to study I mean uninterrupted for hours at a time. It can come across as disrespectful being stuck in your room all day and only coming out to eat or use the bathroom. Having to tell my parents that I can’t have a movie night because I have an early exam the next morning, or that I won’t make it to dinner because I had to work late and won’t be home until they’re asleep, or that I can’t go visit my family with them like we always do is honestly heartbreaking because you don’t want them to feel like you don’t care about them anymore. I found that sitting your family down, expressing these feelings and being upfront about the realities of doing college at home helps your family understand that you are not just forgetting about them, but you’re working hard to make them proud.
Online school is not all bad though! There are some funny and very memorable moments that I wouldn’t have experienced if not home with my parents again. Let’s talk about how no matter how many times you tell your family that you’re in a LIVE meeting with cam and mic on, that they’ll still somehow manage to be screaming at your siblings in the background or barging into your room with laundry piled up high! Sure, you may be frustrated at first, but we got to remember that our parents are new to this too. They’re struggling with this pandemic and current state of the world just as much as we are and it’s important to cut them some slack and be grateful for the hilarious memories that you will hold onto forever.
Overall, it is important to always look on the bright side and realize this is only temporary. Who knows, years from now we may look back at those embarrassing Zoom moments and pointless arguments with our parents about screen time and simply laugh. It’s important to be grateful for all this extra time we have to spend with our family that we may not have otherwise, and the countless memories that have been made and will continue to be made during these hard times.