OPINION…FROM WHERE I SIT: The Unusual Semester

What  an unusual  semester this is:  living in the dorms, taking classes online  and  playing a sport…all during COVID-19. 

Being back in the dorms since the reopening of Penn State Greater Allegheny (PSUGA) is not what I was expecting. I was expecting being back in the dorms to resume as normal, like  before  COVID-19.  Not so.  I can feel the still atmosphere.  

Before COVID-19, living in the dorms was fun. I would see people in the lobby doing their homework and conversing or there would be some type social gathering or activity. Now I hardly see anyone because most people stay to themselves.  Maybe they are frightened by the pandemic.  But when I do see people around the dorms, they are wearing a mask. I feel like a prisoner being in the dorms with all the different regulation I have to follow to avoid the spread of COVID-19.   

With most of my classes being remote, this semester has been a struggle  trying to keep up with work and studies. School work feels to be a choice and not a priority because everything is done online, and I feel like I have so much free time when I do not.  I’m not a fan of classes being held through ZOOM.  

I’m more of a hands-on learner and I would rather have in-person classes. The schoolwork is piling up on me and I feel so overwhelmed. Thankfully, because the professors here at PSUGA care about their students’ success, they reach out to me to try to get me back on the right path.   

Sports is one of the biggest excitements here at PSUGA. With fall sports being postponed to the spring, there are no teams to really bring in that excitement that sports bring to campus. Being an athlete, myself running track, I am thankful we are still having a season this spring. Wearing a mask during practice isn’t ideal but we have to because of COVID-19. I really hate it because it makes it difficult to breathe. I barely can breathe without a mask during practice! 

I hope that things can go back to normal soon. This by far has been such an unusual semester. However, I hope everyone is staying safe and coping well during this pandemic.  

Story by: James Plez (jzp5847@psu.edu)