Let me preface by stating that I have been a commuter student for my whole college career. Regardless, I found myself spending full days on campus even after classes. Whether it be attending a Greek life event or in the Blackbox managing props for a play, I became very comfortable here. As an active student pre-pandemic, my time on campus would often total up to 12 hours a day. Each semester, I would wake up early for classes that started before 10 a.m and I’d arrive home just before 10 p.m. on the days I had night classes. That being said, there have been numerous changes to not only my routines on campus, but changes in the overall ways I now prepare for my days during a global pandemic.
Back in March, it was hard to envision what this fall semester would look like. I spent around six months in a strict quarantine with my parents, one of which is immunocompromised, and my brother. I missed my daily commute. I missed looking for a parking spot in peak hours of the afternoon after leaving campus for Chipotle. Now, parking on campus is much easier. Usually, if I arrived on campus around 11 a.m., I would have to trek through aisles of cars to reach the UC. Now, I can expect prime parking at all hours of the day.
Currently, I spend around five hours a day on campus either working or attending class. A few things have remained the same. Walking through the UC, I can still hear the metal weights of the Recplex, the chatter of students from the pit and the occasional UC Spine event and life seems to be back to normal. Of course, wearing a mask, I will make my way up the levels of the PVA wing, where I can find students studying in masks and signs of encouragement in Shark blue. Every hour, I can spot staff members keeping surfaces clean.
America is still in the midst of a pandemic. We cannot forget this. We must all do our part to keep ourselves and the community safe. It is easy to wear a mask in public and frequently wash your hands. These are small prices to pay for the slow down of a deadly disease. Overall, it has been nice to find sanity in old routines. Regardless of new safety protocols, campus has remained one of my happy places during times of absolute mayhem.
