Coronavirus forces students to make a change

By Edwin LaCroix

The pandemic has moved life indoors and for university students whose semesters were moved online, acclimating to distance learning hasn’t been the smoothest. For Josh Utomwen, this wasn’t the way he had planned his semester to go.

“At first I wasn’t too worried about the virus because I just couldn’t see it not being handled in the first stages,” he said. “Once I found out that we weren’t having school the first week after spring break, I knew it was way more serious than I thought.”

As the mandate for online education rolled out, students began moving back home, but not Utomwen. With his newfound free time, he applied for some nearby jobs and began to work for a while. His part-time job was short lived, as his parents asked that he come home to avoid any exposure to the virus. During his time at home, he’s gotten the chance to reflect on his college career and what his favorite moments were.

“This isn’t how I wanted my senior year to end, but I’m grateful I get to spend more time with my family,” Utomwen said.

Vincent White expressed some different concerns regarding his experience with the introduction of the virus. White said he couldn’t decide to take the virus seriously or not.

“I thought it was similar to the flu and only seen in certain areas of China,” White said. From what he saw on social media, many jokes were made in light of the situation which made it harder for him to take seriously. Despite the uncertainty, White was still able to work in the residence halls. Being able to work has been able to help him maintain a steady income to help his family out in this period.

Working and online school aren’t the only things people are maintaining at home. Odette Nawoue, a third-year student at the University of Georgia, said that the only thing that has been keeping her going was her workouts.

“I can no longer go to the gym, but I have found comfort with at home workouts,” Nawoue said. Her father works as a nurse and had recently traveled to New York to aid in coronavirus relief. Her mother had no choice but to shut down her business for the time being. With all that is going around her, Odette has been able to stay focused on school and remain consistent in her exercise routine. She has even managed to start a fitness page, which she updates weekly.

Amidst the disruption, people have found ways to salvage parts of their lives and carry on at home. From making time for personal development to spending time with family, people have made it their mission to keep a positive atmosphere during this time of their lives.

Reference links:

https://www.usg.edu/coronavirus/#usg_continues_online_instruction_for_may_summer_semesters

https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-04-02/governor-kemp-issues-shelter-place-order