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By Eve Gilbert ‘24
Taking classes from the desk where I did my high school homework, having dinner with my family every night, and watching all of my friends’ Snapchat stories of their college campuses is not how I envisioned I would spend my first semester of college. Therefore, I was elated when I found out I would be able to live on campus for the spring semester of my freshman year. While getting tested for COVID-19 every week, wearing a mask at all times, and being confined to only meeting people in my dorm building (at least at first) may not seem like the ideal college experience, I am nothing but grateful to be here at Lafayette. In fact, missing the end of my senior year of high school due to COVID-19 has made me more appreciative of the people around me.
Here’s how this “new normal” semester started off: I moved into my dorm room in South College two days after a massive snowstorm. After climbing up two flights of stairs in my snow boots to my new residence hall, I was greeted by the friendly faces of my hall-mates (at least what seemed to be friendly from behind masks). Because Orientation Leaders weren’t able to help the freshmen carry their belongings to their rooms this year, it took me about two hours to get everything out of my car.
It’s easy to take everyday situations during the pandemic and make the worst of them, but I decided to start my first in-person semester at Lafayette on a high note. Rather than focusing on everything I wasn’t allowed to do during level three, I choose to focus on what I could do. I am lucky enough to have a kind roommate who I was able to get to know during the first four days of our level three quarantine period. We spent our time decorating our room, organizing all of our food, and watching Netflix to pass the time together. After going into level two of quarantine and being able to venture out more, I made use of the gym, studied in Rockwell and the libraries, and tried Mojo Cafe for the first time. I am lucky enough to live in South with a new basement where I was able to study and hang out with other kids in my dorm at night. Now, being in level one, I’ve been able to expand my group of friends much more. I love eating in the dining halls at night with bigger groups and trying new restaurants in Easton. Some of my favorite restaurants include Mesa, Sogo, and Ocean. I feel much more connected to the Lafayette community now that we are in a much less restricted level.
This semester has been difficult at times, but I have learned much about myself and even have some advice for incoming freshmen! First, I suggest engaging in as many activities as possible. While I was not able to do this, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, I believe this is a great way to meet other students. Second, while it may sound cliché, be open to meeting all types of people. College is very different from high school, and you will find yourself pleasantly surprised by befriending classmates who have different interests than you.
Going to school during a pandemic is definitely not how I imagined my freshman year would play out. Despite this, I have had such a great spring semester and look forward to the rest of my years at Lafayette.