By Ananda Turner, Hampton University '24
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had to face the challenges of becoming a new college student remotely. It was tough, but I got something out of it in the end. My name is Ananda Turner and this is my story of becoming an undergraduate student during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I finished high school at NEST+M in June 2020 remotely. Missing out on events like graduation and prom made me feel like I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to the old me. I started school at Hampton University with a remote student orientation. Without physically moving into a dorm, I didn’t really feel I was starting a new phase in my life.
Before the semester started I was feeling sort of anxious about living up to the expectations of my professors and meeting other students, but after the semester started I didn’t feel anxious at all. Sometimes I didn’t care. Without that anxiety, I felt no motivation to push myself during that critical transition period. Getting registered for classes was also a disaster because call operators were backed up. I didn’t even get my advisors until a month into the semester. With the university being so disorganized, societal, racial, and political conflicts, and my family members stressed out, I was feeling insecure about my future at that time.
Further into the semester, my strengths and weaknesses in school were challenged. I always had trouble managing my time and staying focused. Without the physical structure of going to classes, it was even harder to effectively divide up my time. Sometimes, I spent most of the day on one assignment and had no time to work on another assignment due the next day.
Since I already had trouble focusing, the stress in my environment left no space in my mind for school. Using my stronger analytical skills, however, I was able to understand the material in my History and English classes. Since my Biology class was mostly based on test taking, I used the test-taking skills I practiced in my NYC high school to do well on exams. Though it wasn’t easy, I did pretty well by the end of the semester.
I couldn’t have made it through this semester without some strategies to stay organized, healthy, and focused. Exercise was one of the most useful tools to help me stay focused and less stressed out. Even if I felt lazy, I did calisthenics indoors just about every day. After exercising, I felt calmer and more focused.
This semester, my planner was a life saver. I used strategies Uwingablye taught me back in high school, like writing down the due date for every assignment, making a time estimate for each assignment, and writing a schedule every day. With this system, I always knew what assignments were due and when to work on them. I did my best to eat regularly and get enough sleep, so I had the energy to get through the day. Lastly, I took some time every day to just chill. By sticking to this routine, I got through a painful semester.
Without closure for high school and with the world so unstable, having to transition from high school to college life during this pandemic was difficult. Despite that, being challenged helped me become a stronger person academically, mentally, and emotionally. Whenever the pandemic ends, I will be ready to start my new life as a better version of myself.