A Pandemic Education After working towards transferring to a university from a junior college, our experience is altered by a virus that impacted our everyday lives, including our educational careers.
by Sabrina Torres
E Karen Miramontes
Roxanne Mendoza
18
veryone’s journey in education is different and each path looks different from the next. After spending three years at a junior college, I made my transition to Long Beach State University. But during the spring semester of my first year, the university experience was altered. A pandemic took the world by storm and what was left was scrambled and we were left to change our lives accordingly. COVID-19 impacted every aspect of our daily lives. As a student, we were no longer in-person with our peers and mentors and there was a lack of readily available resources. Roxanne Mendoza, a transfer student, decided to fast track her graduation plan since things moved to remote-learning. “I won’t get the same experience. The new normal won’t be what it was, at least not for a while,” Mendoza said. “Once I’m out of school, I’ll find my new normal.” In-person, she was excited
about the campus and university lifestyle. She would leave campus excited and equipped with the new knowledge she learned, especially from conversations amongst peers and professors.
“We’re tired, we’re burnt out.” Mendoza had a routine and enjoyed doing her work in the library. But now, with so much screen time, she began experiencing dizziness and migraines. “We’re tired, we’re burnt out,” Mendoza said. Karen Miramontes, a recent transfer, has not yet gotten the opportunity to experience campus life. She transferred during the pandemic and is optimistic to experience it once it’s safe enough to return. Miramontes plans to join some clubs once in-person learning resumes. “I was pretty disappointed. I was excited to go to a new school, meet new people and
PHOTOS COURTESY OF STUDENTS INTERVIEWED
