The onset of COVID-19 came suddenly, and at an incredibly interesting time for me.
My friends and I had planned about a month before spring break to take a trip to France, the product of scouring airline sites last minute. COVID-19 was not remotely a concern for our travels at the time, considering that the concentration was largely in China and its neighboring countries, so we booked the tickets without a second thought.
We began to keep an eye on the virus on the days leading up to the trip, especially with bordering Italy’s cases on the upswing, but the lack of travel advisories and still low number of cases throughout the rest of Europe led us, and our parents, to the conclusion that traveling would be completely safe.
Tabitha Nowak '23 (right) with Maya Neumann '23 in front of the Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, Paris.
It was the week that we were gone when the situation really escalated. Wednesday brought the news that Lehigh would switch to remote learning for two weeks, a decision that threw us back to reality and left us with a copious amount of questions.
Wednesday night led to frantic calls from our parents telling us to book the next flight out, as President Trump had implied that not even U.S. citizens would be able to come home from Europe after Friday. A trip to the embassy the next morning proved otherwise.
Thursday brought the gut-wrenching realization that we would move to online learning the rest of the semester--and our two-week quarantine would prevent us from seeing our friends before they left for home, let alone return to campus before the Fall 2020 semester. Our parents would have to retrieve our belongings from our rooms without our help (a quick apology to my mom and dad; my dorm room was in the inevitable post-packing chaos state).
My COVID-19 experience and the move to online was interesting. Coming home strangely brought both a heightened sense of independence and one of being pushed into a corner--quite literally, as I was careful to avoid unnecessary contact with my family for the two weeks when I first returned home. But online school was certainly a testament to an individual’s effort and motivation. Leniency, which was certainly warranted for such a big change, did allow for slacking off. I was in a Zoom class where, in a break-off discussion room, I was the only one to talk. I’m pretty certain I was the only one at my computer.
Still, the large classroom turnout has definitely shown that most students are committed to receiving the education they’re paying for.
A Rapid Transition to Online Learning
I think the most difficult part, in terms of coursework, has been the lack of in-person interaction. I found it much more engaging, even in a large lecture course where participation is minimal, when the professor is teaching right in front of you. Live Zoom classes have had a similar effect, but sitting in a classroom and taking notes is unparalleled to staring at a computer screen and doing the same.
Several of my exams were open-note. It’s inevitable, really. Even if it wasn’t explicitly stated, students could easily check their textbook for answers during an exam. This is one of the downfalls of online learning, because it exponentially decreases the incentive to actually learn and fully understand the material. Especially for classes that count towards a major, having an understanding, rather than looking up the answers, is incredibly important.
But ultimately, the most distressing part about the whole situation is the fact that my freshman year was cut short. At the same time, I’m thankful that it didn’t happen when I had an internship scheduled or was studying abroad, but there’s no year like your first year. The fact that there was no conclusive end is strange, and I can’t say it’s really kicked in yet. Maybe it will during the summer.
Another stressor that has arisen, especially as the prospect of long-term self isolation begins to seem more and more likely, is the possibility that opportunities--maybe even some a year or so in the future--will be cancelled. Or even the thought that the Fall 2020 semester will be virtual. It’s a rabbit hole of unpleasant thoughts (“What if we don’t go back? And then it’s almost a whole year away! And then only a semester will be left before I go abroad! And then I’ll have less than two years of college left! And then…”) It goes to show how precious college really is (and is certainly an exercise in controlling your overthinking.)
There’s so much uncertainty right now, but I still have hope that we’ll return to campus on time in the fall. It will be interesting to see what this transition will bring. Five months is a really long time to be away. I do think it will teach me to appreciate every second of college even more--I’m lucky that I’ve even had school to miss and look forward to returning to.