Personal essay: The “best years of our lives” and the reality of being a college student during COVID-19

by MAGGIE MAE YOUNG

Online Editor

It was freshman year and I was thriving. Finally living on my own, making real friends and learning about life. I was flying; I didn’t think anything could touch me. 

There was talk of a deadly virus in Asia, but it wouldn’t come here, right? 

The email came in on a Wednesday evening, saying we would have an extension of spring break. I remember the excitement around a three-week break from the chaos that the second semester of college was already inflicting. We made plans to visit our friends and for when we would return later that month. But we never did visit, we never did return. 

We all remember what happened next; COVID-19 took over our lives. Online classes, not leaving the house except to get groceries and only ever seeing our friends via Zoom. 2020 was the most life-altering year of our lives. 

Growing up, we were told that college would be the “best years of our lives,” but no one told us they might be the worst. No one could have predicted this: the missed experiences, the development of crippling anxiety or the pressure to somehow still make these the best years of our lives.

Second semester quickly came and went, completely online. The professors struggled to switch to Zoom while we struggled to adjust. I learned virtually nothing, while paying the same amount of money. 

That summer, all I could think about was getting back to campus. I wanted to make friends to replace the ones that the absence took from me; I wanted to find something that gave my life purpose again. Then, another surge.

Just when we thought we were done, 2020 struck again. Long story short, I didn’t physically make it back to campus until spring 2021, but I wasn’t missing much. I lived on campus, yet had zero in-person classes. Once again, I learned nothing.

I worked an on-campus job at the fitness center, which gave me some human interaction, but it was extremely minimal and I was still terrified. Terrified of the unknown and terrified that with one misstep we’d be sent home once again. 

My roommates kept me company while I barely left the room because there was nothing to do. No sporting events to attend, no (safe) parties to enjoy, no clubs to join. The college experience had vanished and been replaced with what felt like house arrest. 

Fast forward to fall 2021, when we finally felt a sense of relief and normalcy. Sporting events were back, parties went on and, despite them still being mostly online, classes just felt easier. Masks were still required, but only indoors, and vaccines were available to everyone, easing the anxiety and fear and life was slowly getting back to normal.

I began to remember what it was that I loved so much about college. It was the community, the sense of belonging, the genuine happiness that had been taken from us so abruptly; it was all coming back. 

We could all taste the end of COVID-19. We could finally visualize a world without it. This was right up until Omicron made its first appearance. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t pretty. Luckily, we were at the end of the semester so it really didn’t affect classes. What it did affect was my mentality toward school.

I was just beginning to let my guard down and allow myself to enjoy the college experience without worry of it being taken away from me again. When I saw the possibility of once again being disappointed, I realized that there was no chance of this experience being normal. It was either college during a pandemic or getting the hell out. 

I met with my advisor and asked if there was a possibility to speed up the process, even just a little bit. I came into school a semester ahead and took summer classes every year, allowing me the option to finish early by packing my spring 2022 semester with courses, along with taking three more over the summer. 

I’m getting out a year early.

My friends and family were concerned when I first told them. They said, “you’re rushing your college experience; you’ll miss out on so much.” Wrong. I realized that right now is the absolute worst time in history to be a college student and that I was not happy. Life takes unexpected turns, and we can take comfort in the fact that every college student on earth is living the same unfortunate reality. 

As disappointing as it is, I did what I believe is right for me. I am hopeful that the coming years of my life will prove to be much better than my last few. 

It’s okay that you’re not having the time of your life right now. The pressure to make these the best years of our lives is all in our heads, so let that shit go.

We have the rest of our lives to live. Get your education, try to have some fun and never stop doing what’s right for you.