College Students are Taking it Day-By-Day After Covid-19 Affected Them in More Ways Than One

By Lauren Higgins and Alyssa Springer Title: Contributor and Social Media Editor

the craziest two-and-a-half years to date was terrifying.

March 13, 2020 will forever go down as one of the craziest days we have ever experienced. Schools were closed for the foreseeable future; businesses began to shut down and life as we knew it was about to change forever.

For many of us, living in this “postpandemic” world has proven to be much harder than we anticipated, especially for students. It has affected everything we do, every decision we make and how we decide to go about our days.

“In terms of how Covid has impacted my daily life, I would say that I just overthink things more than I used to,” senior music student at the University of Akron, Courtney Cotyk said. “Every cough or sneeze created a pang of anxiety that I never would have had before.”

This “new world” that we are having to navigate seems so foreign. It is almost as if we’re having to start over with our lives and say goodbye to the lives we had prior to COVID-19.

From relearning how to interact with society to mundane daily activities, life now is completely different than it was just three years ago. Learning how to come back to school and pretend as if we didn’t just go through

“I don’t think I really expected how out of touch with people I would feel,” said Cotyk. “I was so excited to be back in person for classes even, but it surprised me how disconnected I felt from the people around me. Even now, I still feel uncomfortable sometimes in social situations.”

Moe Thomas, a junior college student at Bowling Green State University, was a senior in high school when Covid-19 hit.

“I had been looking forward to college for all of high school. Then, when it hit, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to go but luckily, we were. Although, the experience is not near the same as I expected,” Thomas said.

Thomas said that because of Covid-19, she had to spend her first year of school at home. “Everything was online, and it just wasn’t worth it to spend the money to not even have in-person classes,” said Thomas. “It was really difficult to come to campus the next year and make friends because I didn’t have the same freshman activities and events anymore.”

Sierra Maxwell, a recent graduate of Wright State University Lake Campus, changed her plans completely after Covid-19 hit. “My plan A was to attend school for chiropractic medicine, but that changed with Covid because during the shutdown, my mental health suffered and it made me rethink my life choices,” said Maxwell. She is now licensed as a Massage Therapist instead.

Rianne Daniel, a student of junior standing at Ohio State University Lima Campus, was originally going to attend school out of state; however, when Covid-19 hit, she decided to stay home instead. “I really resent not getting the experience that I wanted,” said Daniel. “I always thought that I would have more control over the major decisions in my life, but Covid has taught me that is not the case.”

So, what now?

How do we move forward in a world where many of us feel like strangers? The answer is simple. We keep going.

Little by little and day by day we can pick up the broken pieces we have left from our “pre-COVID” world, take them into this new life and try to rebuild them as best as we can.

“Going back in person, I found that I was getting burnt out really fast because I had forgotten how to make that separation,” said Cotyk. “Now I’m doing my best to put aside time for self-care and hanging out with friends, while still prioritizing my schoolwork.”

In this new phase of life, we’re all in picking up the pieces and creating a new foundation for ourselves is the only way we can begin to move forward.

For some of us, that means having to create new daily routines that we wouldn’t have done before the pandemic. For others, it’s simply taking a step back and realizing that you are in control of your life, and nothing can stop you from being the best version of yourself.

The leaves fall where they’re meant to be

By Alyssa Eversmeyer

The leaves fall where they’re meant to be. One lands, and one can scarcely remember how the ground looked without it. A squirrel’s tail looks like poison ivy. A blue jay sounds like he needs something from me. Green leaves waggle, an insect croaks, the white sun casts a yellow spotlight on me. Crack an egg on my head, let the yolk drip down, let the leaves fall down. They don’t fall, really, they flicker and flash, tumble, flinch, bellyflop, crash.

Look overhead!

The sun’s dropping red-yellow tears. Looks like heaven from here.

Be still!

(Top) The modern classroom for a college student during and after Covid-19. Photo

Where the leaves land is where they’re meant to stay. A red-headed woodpecker lurches on a trunk and taps away.