Masked students attend an in-person class at Stony Brook University.

Thinking back to my freshman year, two years ago, it all seems a bit like a dream. Wide-eyed at the sheer size of the campus, I struggled even to locate my classes. Jump forward six months to March 2020, and a slightly more adjusted me was sent home for the rest of the semester, along with everyone else. 

Now, after a month back on campus, it has been a complete culture shock. The line for Starbucks winding through the bookstore that used to annoy me now seems comforting, even exciting. When I finally meet fellow English majors after a year and a half of only interacting on Zoom, they are inevitably taller or shorter than I imagined. But I miss the smiles that are now hidden behind masks. Overall, I’m enjoying being back on campus and feeling that life is more “normal,” whatever that even means anymore. I decided to check in with some fellow English majors to see how they have been readjusting. 

One senior told me that they, “Feel pretty safe here at school. Since I got vaccinated, COVID doesn’t feel as mysterious and unpredictable as it was before. I’m also really happy to be back on campus and have the opportunity to see people in person again. The social aspects of my classes are going well. It seems like everybody has been able to bounce back to the classroom setting pretty easily.” 

Another senior, Sarah Phung, said, “I think the biggest advantage for me has been being able to do group work more authentically in person than over Zoom and in breakout rooms because everyone feels a lot more present.” From what I have seen, my classmates and I are more engaged with the material, and definitely more focused than we were on Zoom.

On the flipside, the increased social interaction also brings some worries. One junior told me, “I try to be as social as possible for the cliche ‘college experience,’ but I’m also scared of putting the people I live with at risk.” At this, another junior piped up, “Yes, and I find myself gravitating towards people that I see consistently only because I know they are safe people.”

I was a freshman when the pandemic started, excited to join some clubs and make new friends, when COVID suddenly changed everything. Now I am a junior who is still trying to join clubs and make new friends. Though many aspects of this past year and a half have been difficult and frustrating, I feel that I am getting a second chance at starting my college experience. I am definitely trying to make the most of it!