Summary

A college student reflects on the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their academic and social life, emphasizing the importance of safety measures, human connection, and personal growth during challenging times.

Abstract

The article provides a personal perspective on the experience of college life during the pandemic, detailing the challenges of mask-wearing, the overuse of hand sanitizers, and the emotional toll of social distancing. Despite these difficulties, the author acknowledges the college's efforts to maintain a safe environment and highlights the unexpected improvements in social skills, hygiene practices, and the value of human relationships. The piece also touches on the resilience of humanity, the importance of not using the pandemic as an excuse to neglect personal responsibilities, and ends with a call to action for readers to join the author's mailing list.

Opinions

The author humorously blames the film Cats and Taylor Swift for the onset of the pandemic.
Masks are seen as a necessary inconvenience that hinders social interaction but improves hearing and, ironically, social skills.
The author playfully suggests using masks as catapults to enforce mask-wearing among non-compliant individuals.
There is a comedic frustration about the ineffectiveness of masks against bad breath and the mystery of the 0.01% of germs that survive sanitization.
The author expresses gratitude for the college's management of the pandemic and the improvements in personal hygiene and community health awareness it has fostered.
There is a deep appreciation for human connection, with the pandemic underscoring the importance of friends, family, and even adversaries in one's life.
The author emphasizes that the pandemic should not be used as a justification for neglecting personal goals or responsibilities.
A serious tone is adopted when discussing the resilience of humanity and the need to maintain kindness and social distancing during the pandemic.

College during A Pandemic.

Through the eyes of a student.

We live in special times. This time last year, the world was normal according to me. It all went downhill after the movie Cats was released. Damn you, Taylor Swift.

After a lengthy lockdown in the U.K, colleges opened up, mine opened up in September, and it was far different to what going to college used to be like.

Masks, Masks, and Oh, Masks.

It was difficult to recognise anyone during the assembly and even harder to make new friends because of masks, but, better safe than sorry, I guess. Masks are funny, have you tried chewing gum with a mask on?

It’s like chopping onions, the irony is, chewing gum makes you cry less when chopping onions, but, uh, that’s what happens when the cure becomes the placebo.

PSA for whoever needs to hear this, masks will not mask your bad breath. Jesus, brush for fucks sake. Here’s what you need to know, wearing a mask, shields germs, not bad breath, I can smell the onion sandwich you had, ugh.

I don’t know if this has happened to you, but, wearing a mask helps me hear better, I now have to lean and act interested in what you say, but acting interested is very hard if your leaning in. I’m being serious, it’s like my generations social skills have become better, and our breaths got worse, meh.

Masks can be made into catapults to scare away anti-mask people, anti-maskers? Does that make me into one of the three masketeers? I don’t know, but from one masketeer to another, you should keep a mask as your secret weapon to scare away the germ spreading anti-masketeer.

My hands are Full of Sanitizer.

If you haven’t noticed by now, our hands either smell freaking wonderful or they reek of alcohol. It’s not because we’re drunk college students, the only alcohol we’ve had contact with is the one on our hands, the icky, gooey type that kills 99.99% germs, by the way, what happens to the 0.1%? Do I have to know what happens? Any doctors out there to help a brother out?

The way the college has handled the pandemic has been amazing, and hats off, teenagers can be tough to manage. You have to sanitize before entering a lecture and before leaving a lecture. Laptops, tablets, and desks have to be sanitized.

Hand sanitizers have taught me a lot about sympathy, the irrational fear that not sanitizing could put someone vulnerable in danger is fucking scary, but seriously, what the hell happens to the 0.1% germs left?

Hand sanitizers have also taught some people to wash their hands before they eat after they eat and after they use the bathroom, you’d think people would know that by now, but better late than never. So far the pandemic has raised my generations listening skills and our hygiene, yay!

Other questions about hand sanitizer. Why is it so sticky? I mean why? Some person out there has made non-stick sanitizers, right? RIGHT?

People need People.

I have never been happier to see another sweaty adolescent. Wow! Yes, you! You’re alive, holy fuck shits! I’m happy to see you, although I’ve never met you! Wow, another one, and another one! Ohh we’re halfway there, ooh living on a prayer!

Sorry, Bon Jovi, was playing when I was writing this, talk about timing. Being locked up in the house gives you a lot of perspective on your friends, family and life in general.

You start thinking about how all of the people you love, like and even the ones you hate, are still here, and how you need all of them. Have you ever thought about how valuable your worst enemy could be to you?

Humanity has an amazing ability to withstand and survive a lot of shit we survived the plague, WW1 and WW2, and we also survived Donald Trump, sorry, are surviving Donald Trump.

Now I don’t know if you can, but please hug someone, give them a full fucking bear hug. Wrap your arms around them, feel the warmth of their skin and the warmth of your skin.

Let go and please sanitize, as we’re still in the middle of a pandemic here. Whilst people do need people, you should keep your boundaries, spot those red flags, not wearing a mask? Don’t go near them. Are they talking about how this is all a conspiracy? Run in the opposite fucking direction. Run Forrest, Run!

Pandemics aren’t an Excuse.

The college has given me a lot of work, and I’m grateful that I’m on top of it all, to be honest, you have to do the work. A pandemic is not a valid reason to fuck around with your future.

The past year has been uncomfortable for all of us, but, we’ve gotta admit, it’s changed us for the better, we’re hygenic, we value each other, and hopefully, we will start to take care of our breath.

On a serious note, Pandemics are not an excuse, they aren’t a reason not to ask someone out, they aren’t an excuse not to get your arse on an exercise bike, and they aren’t an excuse to be unkind.

Yeah, it’s hard, but I survived a term of college, and we’re going to keep living man, pandemic or no pandemic.

Congratulations to you! I know this isn’t what you were expecting, but, it’s from my perspective, not yours! I hope you’re staying safe, and keeping well, please wear a mask, sanitize and follow social distancing, until next time, peace!

Hey, could you please join my mailing list? Pretty please?! Thanks;)