The Reality of Living on a College Campus in a Pandemic

It is an unprecedented time to be a college student in the United States. Despite the Coronavirus and its many gruesome impacts, campuses reopened in every state. Thousands of students moved into dorms across the country, even though there has been an increase country-wide in both deaths and cases of the virus. In the era of social distancing, masks, and Zoom classes, the question remains: What is it like to live on campus at this time, and why would you do it? 

I am from Connecticut- a state that had a fairly effective handle on the virus and thus never been on New York’s travel advisory list. This means it was not required for me to quarantine before moving in. Emily Gates, a fellow freshman from Maryland, was not so lucky. She had to move in two weeks before the rest of our suite- and live in total isolation for 14 long days. When asked about her experience, Emily said, “Even with the uncertainty of how long I would be on campus, I was excited to start my college career even if it meant sacrificing some of my summer. My quarantine experience, however, was a little rough. That’s a lot of time to be on your own.”

Quarantine aside, the school year eventually began. The zoom classes started: but the cameras were off. Microphones were muted. Professors were reading off of PowerPoint slides that otherwise would have been far more interactive. This leads to the first- and most glaring- of the hardships about living on campus in a pandemic year- it is incredibly hard to meet and interact with your peers. When I had applied to colleges, this was the least of my concerns, as I have always been an outgoing and energetic person who made friends fairly easily and often. However, upon being thrust into move-in week with no formal orientation or other attempts at connecting students, and being confined to your room and take-out dining, it was hard to communicate with others. Due to health concerns, it is also prohibited to enter other dorm halls and it is strongly discouraged to have people from your own hall in your room. The people you live with are virtually your only in-person communication with others.

Yet another hardship of living on campus at this time is the lack of things to do when on the campus itself. As a very active person, and an athlete most of my life, it was frustrating to hear that the gyms would not be opened- even though public gyms have begun to open all over New York state. The only way I can exercise is by running off-campus, which can be very dangerous when you are alone. On the weekends, all restaurants other than the dining hall on campus are closed. This, more than anything, opened the internal struggle I still have: trying to justify spending a very large amount of money to live on a campus that is half-open and less than half full. 

However, things are looking up. New York as a whole is beginning to open. There is some good in this very unusual situation. The dining hall is opening, socially distanced, and at 25% capacity. Temperatures are checked at the door for safety. Now, we can see more faces of our peers. The University is finding ways to make interaction with others happen in the safest way possible. It is becoming easier to talk to people as we, as students in a community, grow acclimated to the situation. 

Personally, the reason why I’ve stayed is my roommates. I have grown closer to these people than I am with a lot of the people that I have known my whole life. I found it easier to open up to them when spending almost all of my time with them, and have been encouraged to think about everyday situations in a different light than I usually would have. We are closer to one another because of the outward circumstances, and for that, I am grateful. These friendships are why I stay- and I know that once we have a handle on this situation, I will make more.