(This is the tenth post in a series of articles from students about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Were you in college or high school when the pandemic hit the country? What was the biggest impact on your life during the first few months of the pandemic?

I was a freshman at Missouri State living in the dorms when the pandemic came to the area.  The biggest impact was unexpectedly having to move out and move home.

I also couldn’t work for around six months due to the closure of the University.

What were the challenges of transitioning from seated classes (either high school or college) to online learning?

At first it was really difficult for me to work on school work at home, especially in the early days of the pandemic.  I kind of thought the world was ending. This school year I’ve actually enjoyed online classes more.

What is the greatest lesson you took away from the pandemic (from the beginning to the point we are currently at with social distancing, masking)?

I think the greatest lesson I took from the pandemic is that nothing is certain. Everything can change so quickly at just the blink of an eye.

How did you practice Self-Care-As-A-Bear in dealing with the stress of online classes, isolation from friends and activities, general stress of dealing with the unknown?

I was lucky enough to really enjoy isolation.  I took up tons of hobbies and got to spend a lot of quality time with my parents which was really refreshing.

What did you learn about yourself as you went through/continue to go through the pandemic?

I’ve learned that I am easily adaptable and stronger than I thought I could be.  Even during the most unknown circumstances, I can still be resilient.