This was not what I expected.
As a senior 2020 high school grad, I was incredibly disappointed to see my high school career end the way it did. We were robbed of all the great senior events that are supposed to mark the end of your high school career: prom, graduation, etc. We didn’t get any of that and I was genuinely sad. However, the one silver lining, I thought, was that I was going to be starting college in the fall. I was incredibly excited to be attending the University of Maryland and I was hoping that things would return to normal and the coronavirus would be out of our lives by then.
Unfortunately nothing really did return to normal in our lives, and COVID-19 was still in full force this semester. As a result, my first college semester was a trying one in all sorts of different facets: academically, socially, mentally, etc. This semester was hard. No way around it.
I expected to meet tons of new people, join clubs and meet my friend group right away. I expected to build connections with professors and attend in-person lectures. I expected to go to football games and other sporting events.
Unfortunately, the semester did not transpire as I thought it would. But being a first semester college student during COVID taught me so many things I never would’ve imagined I’d learn. Perhaps the most important is that, despite being in a time where many of us feel more isolated and disconnected than ever, we are not alone. In fact, as college students, in our isolated state at Zoom University, we’ve never been more together. This semester has been tough. The second semester may not be much better. But once we do get through this, because we will eventually, we’ll all be better for it -- and we’ll value human interaction and connection like never before.
As reflected in my photo essay, I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life that I once took for granted. I’ve cherished going out to the mall to relax; late night study sessions at ESJ; and just getting outside for fresh air. No, there aren’t any parties. There aren’t many in person classes, and there aren’t any football games to go to. But I’ve realized that there are ways to build a different kind of college experience -- one that I hope won’t be necessary in the near future, but not a bad one, nonetheless.
Being in Media, Self, and Society has been particularly meaningful to me; I’ve learned so much. With the times we are living in, it’s never been more important to keep up with the news and what is happening in the world. But more than that, Media has helped realize how to be an educated and informed follower of the news. One who can participate in debate and civil discourse in a time when we seem to be losing that. Media has given me a community I can rely on in College Park, and I can’t wait to see what the next couple of semesters hold.
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