After two strenuous years at “Zoom University,” on February 1, I went to my first in-person class since the second semester of my first year.
As I made my way through campus, I realized I was barely 18 years old the last time I went to an in-person class. Now, here I was in my third year, a few months short of my 21st birthday, reminiscing about how not only I, but the world around me has changed since I was last in a classroom.
Since that first spark of mayhem in March 2020, I’ve said goodbye to my teens, completed nearly four University semesters from my bedroom and morphed into a version of myself that first-year me probably wouldn’t recognize. After what seemed like forever in a COVID-based parallel universe, I’m glad we made it out the other side. All I can say is I’m forever grateful that campus life is finally back.
These last two months of in-person learning have really put things into perspective, teaching me not to sweat the little things and look at the big picture. For nearly two years, all I wanted was to go back to school and now that we’re finally here, I’ve learned to appreciate the good, the bad and the things that would have driven my first-year self insane.
- Patience and the (sometimes brutal) daily commute.
I love going to school in downtown Toronto, but nearly four hours of my school days are spent on a subway, bus, or GO train. While the travel time can be the perfect opportunity to catch up on music and podcasts, it can definitely suck the life right out of you. In the last few months, I’ve lost my PRESTO card more times than I can count, memorized the bus schedule and stared aimlessly at every TTC light-up map, praying the train would move faster.
Is the commute fun? No. Are my in-person classes worth the trek? Absolutely. If you asked me that question two years ago, however, I’m not so sure I’d have the same answer. After having in-person learning taken away from us as long as we did, the cons of sitting on a train for an hour will never outweigh the perks of being with my friends on campus.
- Start saying yes!
Since being back at school, I’ve been learning to say yes to things that made my first-year self uneasy. My time on campus has quite literally been cut in half, and as much as it may make me anxious, there’s no room for excuses. It’s easy to go from class to class and call it a day, but the full university experience demands a whole lot more. The last thing any of us want is to look back on this time of our lives and wish we branched out more. So, go to the gym like you’ve been saying you will, take that spin class before your lecture, study in a new building or spark up a conversation with someone you don’t know in class. Explore your campus, talk to new people and be open to wherever these things may lead you. We’ve been inside for way too long… the universe is yearning for us to embrace new things.
- Appreciate your peers.
Hey Alexa, play “We’re All In This Together” from High School Musical!
We’ve all experienced something that no other generation has. We went from seeing each other every day to merely looking at tens of black squares through a screen. If anything, this past year and a bit has had the potential to bring us closer and feel less alone. Walking into a lecture hall after watching recorded lectures from your bedroom can feel overwhelmingly daunting. As you look at the rows of students, however, remember everyone’s probably feeling a little scared as well.
All in all, my first two months back on campus have taught me to be patient, let go of fear and appreciate the little things. While it can be overwhelming at the moment, in a few years, I’ll probably be wishing I was walking out of a subway station, Starbucks in hand while running to class.
Zoom university – you were fun, you were peculiar, but you will most definitely not be missed. Here’s hoping for a full in-person fourth and final year in September!