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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter.

It’s been a year now, but everything is different. 

I still remember when the United States reported the first known case of COVID-19 in the country at the end of January. No one could have anticipated how quickly it would spread, or how deadly the virus would become. 

In March when spring break was extended, I was happy about it. At least, I was at first. I never imagined that shortly after, the university would announce that all classes would transition to online learning for the duration of the semester. A few short months later, we would be spending the fall semester online as well. 

With nearly four months under my belt now, you would think I would be used to it. At the very least, you would think that I would know what to expect.

Maybe it was foolish to be so optimistic, but I know I wasn’t the only one. My friends and classmates alike all hoped that we would be back in the classroom by the time spring rolled around. Our professors did too. We wanted to believe it would get better, that we would open our eyes and everything would just return to normal, just like it always was. 

But it hasn’t. At least, it hasn’t yet.

It’s a harsh reality. 

The truth is that things will never be the same. At the very least, it won’t be quite the same as before. 

Everything is different now. 

 

Michaela Shaw was the vice president and senior editor of the Her Campus chapter at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2020-2022. During her time as an undergraduate student, Michaela was also a member of Active Minds, Alpha Kappa Delta, the National Society for Leadership and Success, Sociology Club, and Psi Chi. She also volunteered with Hopeful Hearts, a grief support group for children and families. After completing an internship at Allegheny County Children, Youth and Families, she graduated in August with a dual baccalaureate in Psychology and Sociology and a minor in Child and Adult Advocacy Studies. She likes video games, reading, rainy days, vinyl records, Thai food, and spending time with her cat, Ron.Â