{"id":232195,"date":"2021-01-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/college-during-covid-persevering-through-a-pandemic\/"},"modified":"2021-01-15T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T08:00:00","slug":"college-during-covid-persevering-through-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/college-during-covid-persevering-through-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"College during COVID: Persevering through a pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

By VERONICA SMITH<\/p>\n

Heading off to college is an exciting time in one\u2019s life, but how is that experience affected when one\u2019s college years are happening during a pandemic?<\/p>\n

College students have faced numerous challenges due to COVID-19. These three students shared the troubles they have faced academically and socially, and how they have turned to various outlets to cope.<\/p>\n

During this unusual time in our world, adjusting to school work has been difficult for these students.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchool feels a lot more optional,\u201d said Lindy Wierda, a Butler University freshman majoring in health sciences. \u201cLike going to class feels so optional when it\u2018s just joining a thing on your computer.\u201d Although having online classes is very beneficial for students\u2019 safety, the transition has been challenging.<\/p>\n

When asked if he enjoys online classes, Cole Bertsche, a sophomore at Gonzaga University majoring in business, said \u201cYeah \u201acause I can crawl out of bed and go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bertsche even explained how on days where he feels more lazy, he will join Zoom class from the comfort of his soft and cozy bed. This is what most \u201cclassroom settings\u201d have become in 2020 \u2014 joining Zoom from one\u2019s bed or walking five feet to one\u2019s desk to join class online. Many students have also found it difficult to stay focused in class.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is just easier to pay attention when you\u2018re around other people and a teacher, listening or talking in front of you,\u201d Wierda said. Since students are not physically in classrooms, distractions are bound to pop up. The buzz from one\u2019s phone notification, the bottle of nail polish sitting on one\u2019s desk or being able to online shop during class \u2014 the distractions are endless and hard to resist.<\/p>\n

Being distracted also impairs students ability to be accountable. College is a time where students are on their own and must be responsible for managing their school work.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping track of everything is difficult because sometimes I feel like I\u2018m missing something when I\u2018m not, and sometimes I don\u2018t think I\u2018m missing something but I am,\u201d Bertsche said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of me on my own schedule, which is tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being accountable is a hardship that many students are facing during this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf teachers don\u2018t specifically mention, \u2018Oh you have this due later this week\u2019 it would be easy for me to forget about it,\u201d Wierda said. This online school world has shown the importance of self accountability and finding motivation to stay on top of assignments and deadlines.<\/p>\n

Trying to navigate a social life during this time has also created new hardships. Being around large social settings is definitely something that students are avoiding, but what if you live in a house with 70 other girls? Stephanie Smith, a junior at Butler University, lives in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house on campus.<\/p>\n

She joined a sorority her freshman year as a way to be involved on campus, meet new people and continue her social interactions. She lived in the house half of her sophomore year, as she spent the other half of the year abroad. Returning to the fun atmosphere in the house, constant chatter looming in the air and continuing to build friendships and mingle with her fellow housemates was exciting for her.<\/p>\n

But as the world knows, COVID-19 came and changed everything, including the sorority house rules.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are required to wear a mask around the house,\u201d Smith said. \u201cAnd we are only allowed to take them off in our personal room.\u201d Smith further explained the house rules of no outside guests, even if they are in the sorority.<\/p>\n

These new guidelines have definitely affected her socially. She feels as though she has grown distant from some of her friends that don\u2019t live in the house. But, this has brought on some positives, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, my best friends are now in the house and I\u2018ve gotten really close with them since we\u2018ve all kind of sheltered here together,\u201d Smith said. She was able to form new friendships that may not have developed if the pandemic and the house rules were not here.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2018s allowed me to be a lot more creative with different gatherings in the sense of we don\u2018t always need to go get food to have fun,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Smith has explored new social hangouts, like studying on the lawn under a shady tree or visiting local Indianapolis parks, that allow her to continue having social interactions, while also following the rules and keeping herself safe.<\/p>\n

Since people are unable to connect face to face during this time, social media has been an outlet used to maintain relationships. But Smith has been using it in a different way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2018ve noticed I need to check different social media more to see who\u2018s being safe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Smith views people\u2019s profiles and if they are posting at parties or large gatherings that look unsafe, she avoids encountering those people.<\/p>\n

Being in a college environment and around so many people, it can be easy for people to stop being safe. But Smith has created her own techniques that allow her to continue to be social and safe simultaneously.<\/p>\n

College in itself is a very stressful and transitional time in one\u2018s life \u2014 balancing academics and a social life. Then, you add a pandemic on top of it and it can take an additional toll on one\u2019s mental health. The CDC found that in June, 40% of people were struggling with their mental health.<\/p>\n

The added stress due to the virus has made focusing on one\u2019s mental health an important priority throughout the pandemic. College students have taken on new hobbies and mental health checks that are helping them cope and preserve through these times.<\/p>\n

\"College<\/a>
Veronica Smith and a friend on
a hike around Butler University (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A common trend was making an extra effort to go outdoors. Rather than being cooped up in a stuffy dorm room all day, people have turned to going on walks outdoors where they can watch the changing colors of the leaves and feel the crisp breeze on their mask covered faces.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought that I would go for a walk around a lake,\u201d Bertsche said. \u201cThere are too many bugs and stuff, but now I am like \u2018This is kind of nice.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Bertsche, like many people during this past year, has realized how beneficial going outside, enjoying the trees, listening to the birds and feeling the wind can be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2018ve been going to the gym like 5-6 times a week,\u201d Bertsche said. Getting in a good sweat not only is healthy for your physical body, but also clears your mind and benefits your mental health.<\/p>\n

Being a psychology major, Smith knows the importance of taking care of one\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a long day of classes, I have a little mental health checker and calendar where I just kind of mark to see how my day went, how I am doing and it is a good way to focus on my well being during Covid,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

This system has allowed Smith to track how her mental state is and know when to allot more time to take care of herself or take a break. Along with the calendar, Smith, like Bertsche, goes outdoors more often.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go on nature walks or just go outside and enjoy it,\u201d Smith said. Enjoying nature is a great way to relieve stress and focus on yourself, but not all people go about it this route.<\/p>\n

\u201cI talk to my friends and my parents,\u201d Wierda said. Talking about your feelings and moods with others is beneficial, too. It can help you process your emotions and also receive an outside opinion that can help you.<\/p>\n

Living in a pandemic has become our new normal, and although it has brought about many hardships, it has proved the importance of being flexible and working through the situations you are handed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2018t live your life in total fear and anxiety,\u201d Smith said. \u201cYou have to grow accustomed to this new world we\u2018re living in and adjust your actions accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Veronica Smith is a 2020 graduate of Patrick Henry High School and is currently freshman at Butler University studying Sports Media.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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