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

Everyone’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

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROXANNE MENDOZA

We’re tired, we’re burnt out.

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.

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.

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.

“We’re tired, we’re burnt out,” Mendoza said.

Karen Miramontes

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN MIRAMONTES

I was not taking care of myself and pushing away people that loved me. [People] think it’s easy to overcome [but] it’s not.

“I was pretty disappointed. I was excited to go to a new school, meet new people and professors,” Miramontes said.

Miramontes plans to join some clubs once in-person learning resumes.

Mendoza was part of the collective that fought for the right for students to obtain credit and no-credit substitutions for grades since they had unexpectedly been hit by this pandemic.

“Remote-learning began to make things muddy,” Mendoza explained. “I’m getting through this, but it’s not easy.”

She joined a gaming club and while everyone was kind and welcoming, getting to know one another was missing that personal aspect that one gets only physically.

Sometimes remote learning helps Miramontes stay focused but the interactions with peers is different. She misses the support she felt in-person.

“Sometimes having one-onone conversations is what I need to motivate me to work harder,” she said.

In a study titled, “Effects of COVID-19 on College Students’ Mental Health in the United States: Interview Survey,” conducted by Changwon Son, Sudeep Hegde, Alec Smith, Xiaomei Wang, and Farzan Sasangohar stated, “The findings of our study highlight the urgent need to develop interventions and strategies to address the mental health of college students.”

The study surveyed 195 students and found that a lot of students experienced multiple stressors: 91% reported negative impacts of the pandemic, 89% had difficulty in concentrating, 86% experienced disruptions to sleeping patterns, and 82% of the population faced increased concerns on academic performance.

This sudden shift caused by the pandemic showed cracks in the wall of the institution and its lack of preparedness.

Miramontes said her transition was steady for the most part, feeling lucky to have a stable internet connection.

However, she admitted scheduling homework assignments was difficult.

“They assumed we had the resources,” Mendoza said, who now works off a loaner laptop. She found herself worried when her laptop stopped working and she wasn’t in a financial place where she could obtain means for a replacement.

Last October, Mendoza admitted her mental health was deteriorating. With her daily breakdowns, she continuously felt frazzled. Someone referenced her to the Campus Assessment, Response and Evaluation department on campus, who work to support students.

However, Mendoza said her experience with CARES was far from what she expected and expressed her concerns at a meeting with the Provost and other top representatives of the university.

Luckily for Mendoza, Beth Lesen, vice president of student affairs, took action.

Lesen, who holds a doctorate in psychology, followed up with Mendoza. Lesen conducted further investigation into the CARES representative, leading to the end of the representative’s time with the office.

Miramontes experienced her own struggles with mental health.

“I was not taking care of myself and pushing away people that loved me. [People] think it’s easy to overcome but in reality it’s not,” Miramontes said. “However, with the overwhelming support from my family and friends, I am able to be myself again.”

Optimism has not evaded Miramontes as she remains excited to get a chance at campus life. She hopes to be in a position where she can take on more courses and graduate soon.