Alumni Spotlight: When Coronavirus Interrupts College

by Maria Elser

They often say that Junior year of college is the very best since, as a student, you have finally learned how to balance work with fun, yet the pressures of Senior year and finding a job have not set in.

 In my Fall semester, I was certainly experiencing the truth of this statement; where schoolwork got stressful, my friends always knew how to lighten the burden. We spent equal time working hard with our courses and doing fun things like playing beach volleyball, going to Lincoln Diner on random weeknights, and going to dances. Even studying was transformed into hilarious hangout time as my friend, Mariah, and I had late night homework parties in our living room.

As Spring semester approached, I was expecting much of the same, and for the first month or so, I was right. The Spring semester of my Junior year was one I have been greatly anticipating for the past few years. Not only did I have fun friend time to look forward to, but this was also the semester that I would finally begin actively student-teaching twice a week.

So, I spent Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays taking classes at the Mount, and I spent Tuesdays and Thursdays as a student-teacher at a local middle school. My time in the classroom was an incredible experience and it only reaffirmed my belief that it is my purpose to teach. Unfortunately, this all came to a shocking halt on March 11^th.

I had, of course, heard about Coronavirus from the media, but it still seemed like such a distant thing that would never reach me, never affect me. In the second week of March, just three days after I returned from Spring Break, however, I learned that it certainly would affect me. 

With prudent and justified concern for our safety, administration shutdown the University and sent us all home to finish out the semester through online courses. This meant no more friend time and no more student-teaching – a truly devasting and disorienting blow. This was also the first year I had close senior friends graduating, and the opportunity to say goodbye face-to-face was tragically ripped away.

We have all been served our own personal disappointments with the quarantine situation that has been placed upon us. It has ceased proms, face-to-face graduation ceremonies, concerts, long-awaited trips, and so many more events. For some, it has even ceased work and spurred financial difficulties. No doubt, these are trying and stressful times for everyone in a variety of ways. Although it is difficult, in order to persevere through these circumstances, we must focus on the positive and cling to the good.

Personally, I have been using this quarantine time to develop new skills and refine old ones. Things like leisure reading and creative writing that I never seem to have time for have now become a part of my daily routine. I have also begun learning guitar and recording music in my spare time. I have learned to maintain deep friendships despite straining distances through the beautiful gift of technology. And, I have come to see this time quarantined with my parents as an opportunity to spend quality time with them, deepen our relationship, and express my gratitude for them by making home-cooked meals.

It would be easy to get bogged down in the disappointments and anxieties that have come with this pandemic. For our mental health and wellbeing, however, we simply must take heart and come together as a community (virtually, of course) to push through these strange times. 

You can use this time to develop new skills or immerse yourself in old ones. Or, if that seems like too much pressure, you can use this time to simply be still, treating this quarantine time like a retreat. No matter what you choose to do with this time, always remember that just because we are temporarily in self-isolation, we are by no means alone.