Getting Sent Home Early Because of a Pandemic is Weird to Have Happen Twice
The March Covid-19 shut downs were quite drastic; they were fast pace and immediate. It was sudden and I had never experienced anything like it. I missed out on over half of my time abroad in England because of the spread of the outbreak. But even with all of this, being sent home in November had a greater impact.
On November 19th, after finishing an online exam with my professor, I had to pack my car and leave campus, a few days earlier than expected.
When Clark University announced that students would be returning to campus in the Fall, the administration was clear that students would need to be prepared for a quick departure if it was deemed necessary. After months of successful Covid-19 management with limited case numbers and no case clusters, it was difficult to see a future where students would be asked to leave early. The slim chance became a reality as students were asked to leave a week prior to the anticipated move out date. Five Covid-19 cases were reported in one evening, and the cases were rising in Worcester, so the administration asked students to vacate campus as soon as possible. This created a lot of stress for students as they had to change travel plans.
It was difficult to realize that the semester was almost finished but we were still asked to leave earlier. It was more difficult to leave a semester earlier because of fear that rules were not being followed instead of the beginning of a global pandemic. We were asked to leave campus for a longer period of time, as the beginning of our Spring semester was delayed to accommodate for the pandemic. Students were asked to pack all of their things so there was no concern of missing items, as there was in spring. The unpredictability of the future of my last semester until my graduation increased my sense of unease about my future, especially of my ability to see my friends again.
The fall 2020 semester was my most difficult, far more difficult than Spring 2020. The semester was enhanced and there were no breaks throughout the entire semester. There was an increased assignment load meant to offset the challenge of online classes. However, the difficulty of online classes was not taken into account when these assignments were created. This difficulty continued upon my return home. Course completion week began the minute I got home and soon after that finals were due.
Fall 2020 was as all the emails have said a turbulent and unprecedented time. The semester is finally over, but the stress and anxiety that corresponds with the semester and the future before graduation has not left.
