Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons
In August 2020, many high school seniors had to face the impending question of whether to attend their first year of college in-person. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some students decided to take a gap year or complete their freshman year of college from home. However, many people did decide to start college amid the pandemic, but not without reservations.
“One of my concerns about starting college during a pandemic was being able to social distance and stay safe with many other people on campus,” said Michelle Casab, a freshman dance major. “Another concern was having to follow the necessary guidelines to stay safe, but also trying to socialize and have fun at the same time.”
Other freshmen have similar concerns about meeting new people and being able to socialize in college amid COVID-19.
“I’m terrible at meeting new people in general, so the fact that I’m a little more confined in my room was a scary thought and still is,” said Maddy Takesian, a freshman drama major.
Bianca St. Onge, a freshman music major, also had concerns about making friends and how her mental health would fair.
“I was in an outpatient program for my mental health and I at first didn’t feel ready for college,” she said. “I was concerned about making friends outside of my family unit. I was also concerned about my mental health since quarantine had caused it to decline.”
Although incoming students had many concerns about starting college during a pandemic, some have found that it is not as bad as they thought it would be.
“It is not difficult to get involved in clubs because there are so many opportunities to join virtual events,” Casab said, referring to the numerous virtual opportunities for club involvement offered this semester.
Because of the ongoing pandemic, many classes are partially or completely remote. However, some students have found that online classes do have some positive aspects.
“I think being online is sort of easing me into being here,” Takesian said. “Since we didn’t just jump right into the classroom.”
“I honestly prefer online classes,” St. Onge said. “I had a lot of anxiety with going to school in high school and I have noticed I do better with online classes. I take all online classes and I really do like it.”
While some students are enjoying their online classes, others have found remote learning to be challenging.
“It is difficult taking online classes my first semester of college,” Casab said. “I like to be in the classroom and physically interacting with others, rather than sitting at a computer screen.”
Online classes are not the only thing freshmen are struggling with. Dorm life has changed drastically due to COVID-19, with restrictions set in place to ensure social distancing and safety.
“Dorm life is not what I expected and there are obviously many restrictions for this semester,” Casab said. “It is hard not being able to go into other people’s dorm rooms to hang out and socialize.”
Despite the difficult circumstances, some students have been able to find and make friends within their residence halls.
“Dorm life is amazing!” St. Onge said. “I get along with my roommates very well and also made friends with people in our building. I did not expect it to be so easy to make friends in the house, but living in a Living Learning Community (LLC) really helps because we all have common interests and classes together.”
Another thing freshmen missed out on this year was orientation and welcome week. Both events were held virtually because of pandemic restrictions.
“I still don’t know where most things are on campus,” Takesian said. “I don’t know my way around at all since I never got a tour thanks to COVID-19. I’ve only been going to buildings I am familiar with, which is not many.”
Starting college during a pandemic has certainly placed freshmen at a disadvantage compared to previous years, but students are finding ways to adjust and remain hopeful for the future.
