Senior Year During Covid-19

“Being the class of 2021 during this pandemic must be like how the seventh year students in Harry’s year felt at Hogwarts during the whole Voldemort thing”

As a senior, I can (sadly) attest to that. When I learned that we were going to come back to campus for the fall semester, I was incredibly happy. I thought to myself: ‘Thank goodness, my senior year will have some sense of normalcy.’ Recently, I have been asked countless times how I feel, as a senior, during all of this… I believe I speak for a lot of seniors when I say: this is really challenging.

Like a lot of you, I love Berry an immense amount. I was looking forward to so many things- the late nights, formal, koffeehouses, football and basketball games, the halloween dance, casino night… the list goes on and on. But in order to stay at the place we love and cherish so much, we have been presented with the obstacle of adapting to a new normal. I am more than willing to find ways to adapt if it means I can stay at my favorite place with my favorite people for my final year.

To adapt to this new normal, I am finding new ways to spend my time at Berry. Here are some things I have learned along the way that have been helpful while trying to navigate through these uncertainties.

Reminding myself why I wear a mask: Yes, we “wear because we care,” but what does that statement really mean to me? I love the ‘Berry Bubble’ and everyone in it. I wear my mask and respect the guidelines the administration has put in place because I want to keep the people in the Berry Bubble safe. It is more than me simply wanting to protect myself- I want to make sure the ones I love and care for are protected, too.

Reframing the situation: Though it was a difficult thought process at first, I have now found some ways to be positive about this situation. As Berry students, I know a lot of us often find ourselves saying “I wish I had more time to _______.” Well, now is the time! Read those books, have lunch outside with friends, start exercising, set up your Eno on mountain campus, begin painting or drawing. Amid these trying times, I have found that staying positive and finding new things to do has helped me a great deal.

Self-care: We are all feeling unsure about how this year is going to turn out which might cause many of us to feel sad, anxious, and stressed. Your feelings are completely valid and you are not alone in feeling them- I and many others are right there with you! I have learned that it can be beneficial to exercise self-compassion and attempt working through these feelings. Try journaling, meditating/yoga, listening to your favorite music, going on a walk outdoors, etc. to process these feelings.

Staying connected: We should avoid going to crowded places, but that does not mean we can’t find unique ways to see our close friends. To stay connected, I have been grabbing some takeout and meeting friends on mountain campus to eat together, walking together on Viking Trail, finding fun things to do with my roommates, and meeting people for coffee outside of Krannert.

This pandemic is impacting everyone in different ways. Figure out what processes work best for you to manage the stress that comes from the unknown and maintain them. And, on the bright side, the students at Hogwarts ended up defeating Voldemort. I am hoping for the same outcome for all of us Berry students battling this virus.

This post is authored by Rachel Mohd