As a Sophomore here at Penn State Altoona it was no surprise that our move in date was pushed back again due to Covid-19. Ever since we got sent home for good in March last year you always have to be ready for a change in plans. January rolled around this year and Penn State students all across the states were ready to make the trip back to good old Altoona. Little did we know we had another month left at home.
Penn State Altoona Reflecting Pond
Although nobody likes to hear the news that we lose another month of possible in person classes we all understand it’s for the safety and health of everyone on campus. Despite the challenges, online classes marched on. Whether you were doing classes from your desk, your bed (because don’t lie most of us were) or even from your car we all went through the same struggles and frustrations. Now with that being said coming back to campus in February, made it that much more special. Everyone was reacquainted with their roommates and friends hopeful for a better outcome this semester.
Thankfully my home town is in State College so my drive back to Penn State Altoona was pretty easy. In regards to the Covid testing in order to come back to campus, it was fast and efficient and allowed for an overall stress free move in day. Others weren’t as lucky as I was. I was able to talk to some of your classmates here on campus and this is their personal experiences with move in day.
Kyler Murray a freshman here at Penn State Altoona lives in Pennsylvania but is about fifteen minutes from Maryland so his commute was around three hours. Kyler quotes,
“Moving back to campus was very stressful. I didn’t receive any help packing and I had to make sure I had everything to last me the semester. Once I got to campus, everything seemed to fall into place nicely. I was able to get my room set up the way I’ve been wanting to. I also got to see my friends that I have been missing since we moved out”. (Kyler Murray, Freshman).
I found from a lot of students that moving back in this semester was a lot more stressful than it was the first semester. Being home for so long we forget what necessities we need in our rooms for a day to day basis. I know for me it was hard debating what clothes I should bring because I knew I still had a lot in my dorm. Sharing a dorm with someone can be an amazing experience because it’s like a built in best friend. Luckily I got to talk to my roommate Chelsie Cummings about her move in experience,
“Moving back on campus was slightly stressful but also long awaited. I was excited to be back with my friends and have classes in person. The move itself was unorganized and I wasn’t sure what to do when I got here. Once I got it figured out, everything went well and I was able to start some homework” (Chelsie Cummings, Sophomore).
So whether you’re doing classes from your dorm, your apartment or even your home you’re not alone. We’re all going through the motions and pushing through the semester to hopefully return to a normal semester in the fall. For now let’s enjoy our time (even if we’re snowed in every other day) and make the most of spring semester here at Penn State Altoona.