By Nathan Garcia
May 31, 2021
There are multiple college students across the US who have managed to find some positives in the last year and a half.
For some, social distancing was a dream come true while others had to make an effort to improve their new lifestyle. These unexpected opportunities allowed some students to have an optimistic outlook on how covid changed their life.
Thriving Introverts
On March 17, 2020, an email from the Chief Resilience Officer Andre Le Duc read “The university will be shifting to a modified operational status.” John Aitchinson was thrilled when he got this notification.
“I was super excited when I found out, I definitely like getting away from cities and I am more of an introvert so I was very ready to get away from all the congestion in Eugene,” Atchinson said. “I packed up my bags that day and was out of there.”
Aitchinson took advantage of online classes and stayed home for fall and winter term. While he took classes, he and his 4 friends from high school decided to open a fishing guide service on Lake Shasta. Aitchinson said “there were 5 of us in a tiny tent trailer, it was early mornings, usually 2 or 3 am, taking clients out from sunrise to sunset. It was hard work but at the end of the day it was so much fun fishing with your friends and getting paid to do it.”
Unexpected Family Reunions
Steven Kaiser, a junior at Oregon, thought that he and three brothers would never live together again as they left for college one by one. What he couldn’t have predicted was everyone being back together in March of 2020 for a 7-month lockdown during a national pandemic.
“It was nice to have all three of my brothers back in the house again,” Kaiser said. “We fished, hiked, and made some funny memories that would have never happened if it wasn’t for the pandemic.”
One thing that Kaiser took away from spending so much time with his mom was learning how to cook. Kaiser said, “This was the first year I had to cook by myself in college so my mom taught me how to make all kinds of meals and it has come in very clutch.”
Fitness Journeys
As the pandemic moved into the summer and quarantining became the new reality, Kevin Sullivan decided to use this time to get in shape. Sullivan, a junior at Oregon, took up running to pass the time, burn off the home-cooked meals and prepare his body if he did happen to catch the virus.
“I started to go on runs because it was an excuse to get out of the house,” Sullivan said. “With gyms being closed, it was a great way to stay in shape and was actually therapeutic. I am still running today in Eugene and I love it.”
Outdoor Hobbies
With limited choices of what one could do throughout the pandemic, going outside was always an option. Nicole Mcginnis, a junior at The University of Washington took advantage of the weather and free time in Southern California. Mcginnis honed in on her skills in a variety of activities.
“With online school I was able to spend a ton of time skiing, surfing and biking,” Mcginnis said. “Focusing on these hobbies during the pandemic was a great way to safely see people during a time when face-to-face interaction was so rare.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, Mcginnis was struggling with not being able to see anyone. “I was depressed at first,” Mcginnis said. “But once I started surfing and doing other outdoor activities once a day it really aided my social wellbeing.” Mcginnis realized that stepping outside after being on a computer all day is so important for one’s mental health.
Online School
Although online school has its cons, the ability to have a flexible schedule can be a huge pro. Marilena Vassalli, a junior at Washington, took advantage of the fact that she could do her classes wherever she wanted. This allowed her to visit her boyfriend for long weekends without having to stress about going back to Seattle.
“Online school has actually been great for me and my boyfriend,” Vassalli said. “Covid is probably the reason we are dating in the first place and now the flexibility of online school is helping our long-distance relationship.”
The way college students have matured, learned, and connected with others during this crisis is uncharted territory. These stories, experiences, and realizations will shape each individual into who they become as life moves on post-pandemic.