Opinion | Students reflect on academic year of COVID-19 restrictions

The Panther reached out to freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors to gather their reflections on this past academic year. Here are their responses.

Maggie Vetter, freshman English major

In August, I was one in the handful of masked freshmen checking into my building on move-in day. When I found out I had the opportunity to live on campus, I knew it was something I needed to do to have some semblance of normalcy.

Initially, I was happy to avoid the hoopla of move-in day and orientation. With my social anxiety, being able to avoid icebreakers and introductions was a relief. Looking back, I know the traditional freshman festivities I dreaded could have put me in the position to meet other students and make friends. But I was given a much calmer transition into college life than most people get, and in some ways, it felt positive. The pandemic gave me an excuse to focus on getting adjusted at my own pace.

But it wasn’t easy. Loneliness hit hard during the first semester as I was living on my own for the first time, amid a pandemic. I wasn't sure I could stick it out and get through the school year being so isolated. It wasn't until my roommate and I formed a friendship that things got better. I reminded myself that more friendships would come in time.

One of the biggest challenges was classes. I missed out on being in a room with classmates, instead only seeing them in a tiny box on my laptop. With this incredibly tough year coming to a close and normalcy inching closer, I’m grateful for what this year taught me about independence. I’m hopeful for the possibilities that will come in the fall and I know it will be a much-needed fresh start when more students will be in Orange and classes will be in person.

Ida Ali, sophomore film production major

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization March 15. I packed my bags and ripped out the posters from my freshman dorm. That night, my friends and I sat around singing, dancing and saying our goodbyes. The next morning, I was gone, on a flight back to Mumbai, India. 

Then suddenly, a year went by. I had spent more time back home than I had spent at Chapman. Yes, I was attending classes online, but what about the other parts of college? Many of the friends I had made in my first semester slowly turned into acquaintances and then rapidly into strangers. The places I had discovered on campus that I used to go to every day became distant memories. The experiences I had dreamt of were disappearing.  

And once again, I was back. A year later. Now a sophomore at Chapman University, I had to restart. But really, this was an opportunity for me to reinvent myself. All my reservations and self-consciousness were gone now; I wanted to make up for lost time. I let go of my “shy” first-year self and said “yes” to new and exciting things. I went on set, went to the beach more, walked to Old Towne Orange more, met new people and made new friendships. The friends who had become strangers reemerged in my life, and I embraced their friendship even more. 

This past year taught me to get out of my shell and do everything I possibly can, because who knows what will happen next. One day, the earth can stop moving and another day it can spin out of control. So do more, live more. 

Erika Yerger, junior health sciences major

The idea of taking the five steps from my bed to my desk and opening my computer for another course at “Zoom University” was almost unbearable. Most of the fall semester was filled with a routine of endless Zoom classes that lacked motivation, socialization and vitamin D. However, when campus opened back up a bit, I decided to shift my attitude and try attending some hybrid classes while taking my other online classes from a reserved library room. 

Even though campus quickly closed back up, I was still motivated to keep pushing forward. I started building friendships through writing pen pals and created healthier routines, filled with daily yoga and weekly, socially distanced picnics. 

By the spring 2021 semester, I was instilled with even more hope and excitement. As more and more of my friends and family received the vaccine, along with myself, I could feel a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders. Even though this past school year had some low points, I’m still incredibly grateful for my newfound friendships, my already-close friendships that only got closer and for my own internal growth and resilience to get through this school year.

Jacqueline Fisher, senior screenwriting major

As I look back on the last year of my undergraduate degree, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. This year has been both the hardest and the easiest in many ways. Even though the past year was virtual, I have never felt closer to my friends. I have developed friendships with people I haven’t even met in person and some I haven’t seen in years. 

This experience bound us together. Our courses were so immersive, collaborative and creative that everyone’s spark and talent truly shone through. We learned to stop, listen, process and revel in the virtual experience, welcoming insights from our peers and professors.

What I learned the most this year was that life is about relationships. In my Agents and Managers class with Professor Joseph Rosenberg, I came to understand how the little things — the stepping stones and the dots — guide us through the journey of life. The people we meet along the way and how those people make us feel invariably change us, and we change them. If we had never experienced a global pandemic, I wonder if we all would truly feel how irreplaceable human connections are.

Creativity thrives in crisis. I have seen my peers create the most imaginative work this year. We have all grown as writers and individuals, learning to express ourselves without abandon. Our vulnerabilities are undeniably our strengths.