College and COVID-19

Joe Letizio, Arts & Entertainment Editor

As college students continue to do their best to deal with COVID-19, life has been altered in many ways. From hybrid classes to social distancing (though these are old news at this point), we must remain strong during these difficult times and have faith that things will improve over the next few months.

What is the Coronavirus:

For those wondering what the Coronavirus is, there are several different types of coronavirus cases, some of these cases cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. For those wondering what the symptoms are, these include: mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and or difficulty breathing. If you want to read more about this I urge you to visit the website for the Center for Disease Control.

While this pandemic has affected everyone in different ways, I know that my remaining years in college will be different than my previous experiences from watching sports games, to having lunch with friends in the dinning hall, and going out on the weekends. Although I know I am safe at home during these uncertain times, I miss the community aspect that makes Assumption University truly special.

Precautions:

While each school has put in place one plan or another, Assumption has instructed their students to take tests twice a week to ensure that no one has COVID.  If a student does test positive, the school has precautions that ensure that each student is taken care of. Some of the ways Assumption University is putting their students first is harsh consequences for parties/gatherings. With this being said, the first offense is the loss of all on campus privileges and residence hall privileges, and room and board not being refunded. If the student continues to host gatherings without wearing a mask and staying six feet apart, they will suspend that individual from the University. While some may perceive these consequences as harsh, I urge you to take into consideration just how dangerous this new virus can be, not just to the individual but the community at large.

Time Management:

Because of COVID-19, the school has split the semester in half and is accelerating at a much faster pace compared to previous semesters. Because of this, I have been learning how to manage my time and not take a single minute for granted. While it is a stressful and uncertain time in my life, I learned from COVID that I should not take anything for granted and to understand just how lucky I am. After the end of last semester, I looked back and realized that I was not ready for online classes, and after rearranging my lif,e I began to get a better handle on what it would take to get better grades if I were to take online classes again online (which I currently am).

New-Normal:

While my life has been eventful for the last few months, I have began to rebuild myself. The things I have focused on which I recommend other students to do is network, find something you are passionate about and how to manage your priorities. Some things I am passionate about working on my blog and interviewing/inspiring others. One way you can network is through LinkedIn, while it is good to network through this platform you can also find internships and jobs. In addition to this if you have LinkedIn premium you can see how you rank up against other individuals when you apply for a job or internship.

Even though I still find myself wondering how the next few years will be impacted by this virus. I learned to take everything one step at a time. As I continue to learn and study for exams and tests during my Junior year, I know that my senior year of college may be unconventional come next year, no matter how my university decides to handle things, but my friends and I will get through it together.