Well, for one, the main differences between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020 are that I’m a senior and COVID. Senior year, like freshman year, is a special one because it’s the dawn of a new beginning. It’s when students are considering serious internships and jobs, grad school, new places to move to and start fresh, and the solemness that comes with possibly leaving the education cycle for good.
Last year, I’d wake up at 6am and would take two regional rails to get into Radnor and then catch the shuttle, which would lead me into campus. I’d shuffle over to the SEAL office, make a cup of tea and then rush over to my first class of the day. On an average Wednesday, I had a morning class and an evening class, and two classes that I helped in. The first was an ECG course I was a classroom coach for, and the second was a college success course for the Cruiser LC of which I was the student fellow. I’d go to SEAL, eat lunch, talk to friends, and maybe stop at the gym (if I were feeling athletic) before heading to my evening ECG course. Around 8pm, I’d leave campus on the shuttle, catch the trains back home, and pass out once I entered my room.
This year, I wake up around 9:37am and roll over in my bed to grab my laptop. I hop on Blackboard and join the session for my 9:40am class. In the break between my business class and COL 101 course for the Cruisers, I quickly brush my teeth and wash my face. After that class, I go to my last class of the day and then, depending on the week, log on for a Writing Center appointment. I’ll probably start cooking dinner for my house around 6pm and be done by 8, eat with my sisters, and then go upstairs to shower, retire for the night, and to talk to my boyfriend.
I’ve actually saved a lot of money this semester since I haven’t had to purchase a zone 3 trail pass; however, I’ve been more stressed this year given my workload. I miss going to campus and seeing my friends, but I do love the quality time I’ve been able to spend with my family. I wasn’t expecting my senior year to begin like this, and in all actuality, I have a feeling that it’ll end like this. No matter what, I’ll stay positive and as active as I can be remotely and make the best out of my final year at Cabrini.