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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wisconsin chapter.

One of the things I hate is that I have really bad FOMO. If you don’t know what FOMO is, it’s the fear of missing out. Like most people, I like a good balance of going out and staying home. It’s easy for me to stay home since I’m more of a homebody but the comparison on social media makes it difficult. Every time I stay home, I see Snapchats of my friends having a good time and feel like I’m missing out on something fun. This was really hard for me at the beginning of college because I would force myself to go out even when I didn’t want to, just because I was so afraid I would miss out on something. I feared that I would miss a key event and all of my friends would become closer friends without me. 

Girls clinking wine glasses
Photo by Kelsey Chance from Unsplash
Then coronavirus and quarantine happened. I lived in the dorms when quarantine began, and like many others, I was sent home. At first, I still saw people hanging out with their friends, and I was sad that I was missing out on all of that due to being cautious. Once the virus got worse, I realized that I was glad I was missing out on parties and hangouts. I did not want to put myself and my loved ones at risk, and I realized the only thing I was missing out on was getting sick. I still saw my friends in outdoor and safe settings, but I no longer felt like I had to go out when I didn’t want to. If I saw people partying on Snapchat, I felt disgusted and not jealous, because they were the ones risking their lives during a pandemic. This stayed the same once I got back to college in the fall.

college students at a party
Photo by Samantha Gades from Unsplash
My roommates and I had to decide not to hang out with certain people that weren’t following the rules. This made my FOMO disappear as I followed safety protocol and guidelines. I find myself not caring if I’m missing out, because at least I am not putting my life at risk. Quarantine has been an emotional rollercoaster, but I’m happy that it has taught me lessons. My FOMO will probably return once quarantine ends, but I now realize that it’s not a bad thing to stay in and miss out.   

Courtney Shady

Wisconsin '23

Courtney is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying psychology, education, and gender and women’s studies. She is from the suburbs of Milwaukee. In her free time, she enjoys drinking coffee, going to concerts, and loves hanging out with friends.
Kate O’Leary

Wisconsin '23

Kate is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin Madison majoring in Biology, Psychology and Sociology. She is the proud co-president of Her Campus Wisconsin. Kate enjoys indoor cycling, spending time with friends, cheering on the Badgers and making the absolute best crepes ever!