One Year Living in a Pandemic

How Covid-19 Has Changed the College Experience

written by Nica Lasater| photographed by Chika Okoye | designed by Solana Chatfeld

The one-year anniversary of quarantine has arrived with more frustration than fanfare to commemorate the date. The pandemic still continues to draw on, long past what anyone would have predicted.

“It feels surreal that we are a year into the pandemic,” Emily Barnard (CAS ‘23) commented. “It’s crazy to think that a year ago we had no idea how much our lives would change.”

During mid-March 2020, students were away on break speculating about the outcome of their spring semester as colleges across the country reacted with varying approaches to protect their communities from the rapidly spreading Covid-19 virus. Though no cases had been reported on Boston University’s campus, there were already about 28 known cases of the virus in Massachusetts.

BU’s course of action remained a mystery until March 11, when students received an email declaring an emergency campus-wide shutdown. They were encouraged to go home or stay away from campus if they had already departed. The administration also announced that classes would shift to being conducted completely online until April 13, a very tentative estimate.

Students did not return April 13.

Instead, courses continued virtually for the remainder of the semester and over the summer as well. The 2020 seniors graduated BU quietly with little celebration, no graduation ceremony or senior week to acknowledge their accomplishments.

Though cases in the U.S. were spiking in September, BU was eager to have students return to campus for Fall 2020. To adapt to the continuing Covid-19 conditions, BU implemented Learn from Anywhere, a hybrid education model that allows students to take classes in-person, virtually, or a mix of both depending on their personal circumstances and preferences.

One student, Sophie Woan (COM ‘22), was skeptical about the LfA model at frst but has grown to appreciate it. An unexpected beneft of taking some of her classes virtually—she does two classes in-person, two online—is it allows her time to also complete an internship.

“I love the LfA model a lot more than I thought I would,” she said. “I’m able to balance having a full course load and an internship and not have to worry about a commute period.”

Other students are far less enthusiastic about receiving a virtual education, including Nick Mason (COM ‘22), who is taking four courses this semester that are only offered online.

Staring at the screen for Zoom classes, he said,

is driving him crazy. “Right now there is nothing I want more than to sit in a classroom full of peers and listen to a lecture,” Mason explained.

Emily Barnard (CAS ‘23) also misses taking in-person classes as she believes professors are more effective teachers, which makes it much easier to stay engaged and learn material.

“I think my learning has declined. I don’t care as much about school because it’s really hard to stay motivated, and my classes just aren’t as interesting or interactive over Zoom,” she explained.

As Polina Lissin (CAS ‘21) feels her learning has been “insanely stunted by the pandemic,” she believes it’s unfair that students pay the same tuition for an inferior education.

“I cannot believe how much it still costs me to go here despite the educational experience not being remotely close to what it was pre-Covid,” she commented. “That said, I’m really lucky to be able to still be in school fnishing out my degree during a pandemic that has devastated families fnancially and emotionally.”

Other public health protocols put in place for this school year to ensure the safety of students and staff include regular Covid-19 testing and symptoms surveying, as well as reconfgured residence and dining halls.

Students are required to get tested every three days and fll out a survey every day indicating any symptoms. If they follow these regulations and continue to test negative, they will have a green badge that grants them access into campus buildings and in-person classes.

Refecting on the past year, Caroline Creed (COM ‘21) said she was very happy to be able to come back to campus feeling secure of her safety due to the way BU has handled the novel Covid-19 conditions.

“Of course there are things they could have done better, but I’m not one to complain too much, especially when they have managed to keep us on campus, safe and healthy,” she said. “I also could not imagine not getting tested, so that has helped my mental health and anxiety a lot.”

Lissin said she was impressed by how quickly BU was able to build a facility with the capacity to test everyone in the BU community so often and agreed that the frequency of testing is what encouraged her to return to campus.

“The regular testing makes me feel much safer given that we’re on a college campus with people inevitably interacting,” she said.

This year, the residence halls look and feel very different due to the safety regulations put in place to limit occupancy and the potential for contagion. The most drastic change seems to be the fact that students only have access to the buildings they are assigned to live in, a rule that administration is strictly enforcing.

Due to this lack of freedom, Creed, who lives on-campus in StuVi, said that though she lives in upperclassmen housing, her experience is very similar to living in the freshmen dorms.

“It feels like we’re always being patrolled and monitored,” she explained. “I understand it’s needed to contain the virus, but it feels like I’m back to being a freshman where I was scared to do all these minor things. Being so close to adulthood, it feels odd to not have the freedom that other 22-year-olds have.”

Barnard said because of these new regulations, she typically only spends time with her roommates, which is unfortunate because as an extrovert, she loves to meet new people, something she can no longer do very easily.

“Last year I would go to different dorms to see other friends, but this year I can’t do that because I don’t want to expand my circle too much, and because BU has taken away swipe access to dorms other than our own,” she explained. “Luckily I’m super close with my roommates and we all live really well together, so the pandemic has just brought us closer.”

The greatest impact the pandemic has had on Creed is the loss of a real senior year, and her last chance to spend time with her college friends.

“I really miss out on the small things that brought me joy before the pandemic, like spontaneous trips, going out, large friend gatherings,” Creed said. “So it’s hard to feel like I’m missing out on what should have been my best and fnal year of college.”

These changes and disappointments that affect all aspects of life, including education and relationships, have taken a serious toll on students’ mental health.

“I feel unmotivated, weary, and ready to move on,” Mason commented. “I’ve started therapy for the frst time in my life, thanks to Covid.”

To cope with these emotions, Woan uses several strategies. “I try to get outside and see my close friends as often as I can, which really helps keep me sane,” she said.

Lissin didn’t know how to respond to this particular question. “I feel like I’ve been so out of touch with my mental health,” she said.

Vaccines are now being distributed rapidly across the country with approximately 2 million doses administered every day. The national goal is to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in the U.S. by the end of May, according to an announcement delivered by President Joe Biden.

While there’s still a ways to go until herd immunity is reached and we can halt wearing masks, getting tested regularly and staying six feet apart from friends makes President Robert Brown hopeful that Fall 2021 will bring more normalcy.

On March 12, Brown sent an email describing how he envisions “life and learning” on campus starting in September. His vision includes all in-person classes, more freedom to move about residence halls, and all buildings operating at full capacity once again.

“I expect the vibrant campus life that we cherish will fully return,” Brown said.

When things return to normal, Mason has plans for a “big, big dinner with all of my friends, as many as can ft into one room,” he said. “Everyone will defnitely be uncomfortable but at least we’ll be able to hangout without the possibility of killing someone.”

For this reason, Lissin said she’s very excited to be vaccinated. “It’s coming one day,” she said. “Hopefully very soon.”