BLOG: Dealing with the changes brought on by COVID-19

EDITORS NOTE: 5/2/20 – Post has been updated to include a reflection blog by the author.

April 6, 2020

The coronavirus has been talked about for the past few months, but the seriousness did not set in for many until the recent spread of the disease throughout the United States. 

This disease has killed thousands, but the first death for the U.S was at the end of February in Seattle. Since then, life has changed tremendously for the entire world. 

Restrictions started put in place and ended up with places including schools and restaurants closing down. Everyone was advised to stay home, but with many lacking discipline, serious rules have been set. 

Counties such as Galveston and Harris are under stay-at-home orders, requiring residents to stay home except for leaving to purchase groceries and run errands, to exercise/get fresh air while maintaining a social distance of at least 6 feet, or if they work in essential industries in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, with major fines for offenders. Parties of more than 10 persons are discouraged and some countries have ordered curfews.

During this COVID-19 quarantine, I thought becoming a homebody, for the time being, would be an easy task. However, for many like myself, it is not. 

Schools being shut down is the first problem for many, considering the challenges of working and studying at home is not for everyone. As a senior majoring in communication, an internship is required as well. 

Doing schoolwork, intern work, and my own job on top of everything else – all at home – has not been the easiest. One of my favorite parts of being in college is the ability to utilize the library, but I am grateful we are still able to do classes online rather than having to retake them at another time.

My experience with this outbreak that has left the greatest impact on me would be the loss of my job. Restaurants are closed to in-house dining and the one I work at does not offer pick-up or delivery. We are having to use our paid time off to make up for income (tips), but not all associates have that luxury. I never thought I would be applying for unemployment at 23-years-old, but I hope it does not last long for those of us with financial responsibilities.

This disease is so contagious that I think the entire student body understands the measures being taken, but it is definitely a very strange way to spend our spring semester. I think the ultimate concern and desire is going to be what type of refunds are available, what is going to happen for graduation, and how long life is going to remain like this. It’s really scary, but you can’t do much other than distance yourself and be hopeful.

May 2, 2020

When the COVID-19 pandemic got serious in the United States, I knew that my senior year was going to be cut short at UHCL. 

When we were finally notified that classes were going to be held online, I had a lot of fears and worries. Yet, I was also kind of excited because I had this idea that I was going to have a lot more free time, especially if I was organized. 

I knew I had to put my bad tendencies, like being easily distracted at home to the side and really put my school work and internship first. For me, the internship was significantly harder because I could not leave my “office,” aka my bedroom. 

Once that came to an end, school got a lot easier. My initial worries when this all started was that I was not going to be able to hold myself accountable or that I would be doing everything last second. But, I found that once I forced myself to be on a schedule and things got a lot easier. 

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and I knew COVID-19 was going to have a lot of good and bad consequences. Usually, I follow such a crazy, packed schedule that I have never had to discipline myself with my own schedule. 

While it was tough at first, this experience will definitely help me in the long run. The only things that I would consider bad would be how much I miss being in class and having that one-on-one experience. 

The help you can get from professors at UHCL is one of the main reasons I transferred, so I really miss that and my colleagues. It is still amazing how easily accessible Taleen Washington, my Media Production professor, and The Signal team have been; I am really grateful. 

I almost wish I wasn’t graduating so that I could experience being back on campus and in the classroom, but I might feel differently with an 8 a.m. alarm going off! 

The lessons learned during this virus may seem small but they are big for me. One being the need to make time for loved ones and pets even when I am really busy. It is so easy to focus on yourself when you feel like you have no time, but you can always make time for the things and people you care about. 

For example, there was a leak in my ceiling and it led to spending the day painting with my mom, and I was so grateful! I have gotten to walk my dogs every day, have longer conversations with family, and more just by slowing downtime for a little bit. 

I am so grateful to have a job like TopGolf where I can be outside every day with a ton of people I am close with, and I am grateful to go to such a great university. I cannot wait for things to be back to normal, but I have learned to enjoy the simple life and that slowing down sometimes should be a priority in my future.