Sameness

Angela Guiao
MSMU Class of 2021

(12/2020) I’ve been a student at Mount St. Mary’s for almost five years, and I must say, I’ve gone through so much here. I lived with my first ever roommates on the top floor of Sheridan as a Freshman. I’ve changed majors from pre-med to accounting. I was here before the PAC and when there was still a hole in the AC. I was here when Donald Trump won presidency in 2016, and here again when he lost in 2020. I remember driving up to campus my second year in my first car and remember working at the Arc when it wasn’t under construction. I’ve enjoyed my fair share of tiki nights and homecomings. And I remember how much I missed the Mount when I had to take a semester off. But out of all the great and unique experiences I’ve had, I must say this pandemic is one of the most memorable.

When we were sent home early in March, it didn’t seem real. It was almost as if I were living in a fairy tale. Suddenly, I was in the comfort of my own home, enjoying the company of my family and taste of homecooked meals. I got the much-needed rest that eluded me when class was on campus, and I saved two hours each day from my grueling commute. When the semester ended, there was still an air of intrigue. No one was sure what was going to happen next. It was exciting in a way, not knowing what to expect. But quickly that excitement turned to despair.

The daily reports of people dying became the norm. And I started to become stir crazy from being stuck in the house all day. Although half of the previous semester was virtual, I still had trouble adjusting come August. It became harder to focus and harder to juggle all the things that needed to be done and honestly, I don’t know how the articulate exactly why. Everything just ended up harder to do. Perhaps it was the hour after hour of being stuck in front of the screen. Or maybe my mind was falling asleep after being stuck in the same position all day. Whatever the reason was, I had trouble getting things done. And being at home, with all my home-responsibilities made it so much harder for me to devote the time and preparation I needed for school.

The results of the pandemic hit close to home. My family was gravely affected. We had to sell our house and find a new place to stay. I was juggling homework in between meetings with the realtor. Exams between open houses. I searched for new places during my breaks at my internship. And I had to constantly budget to make sure we didn’t run out of money. Sometimes I think that if I were on campus, it wouldn’t be me who had to do these things. But then I think, if I didn’t, who would? So now, I think of it as a blessing. At least I was able to help out.

Although, I do hope things change next semester. It is my final semester here at the Mount, and I don’t really want to enjoy it virtually. I heard things are getting worse, and that the number of corona cases are getting higher, so things aren’t looking too good. Last year, the students were able to walk the stage, albeit with a much smaller audience and masks covering their face. But at least they were able to walk. I hope I get to walk next year. My degree has been 5 years in the making, and I am so ready to graduate.

I don’t know if what I’m feeling is a bout of senioritis or I am just getting burnt out, but I do think I need to be much more organized next semester, especially with the classes I am taking. Everyone says not to fill your last semester with difficult classes, but with my unexpected major change I am left with intermediate accounting and economics: definitely not some of the easier classes. I like seeing the things I need to have done, so I think I am going to invest in a large erase board and write all the upcoming assignments that need to be done for that week on it. I think I am going to put it downstairs, away from my desk. That way I am forced to take breaks and walk.

I also think I should establish a routine, though it sounds kind of silly since I don’t really need to leave my desk. But I think assigning a time for snacks or lunch will help with the sameness I feel. At least there is something to look forward to. I also think setting a daily goal with help. I am not sure what exactly the goals will be, but I think I am going to stay away from school or work-related ones for now. Hopefully the rigorous curriculum that my classes will have this semester will be enough to keep me on my toes.

Thinking back on it, I realize that this is probably one of the most unique experiences I will have in my life. I am living through a pandemic. It’s gotten so bad that schools, stores, and services have shut down and people are afraid to leave their houses. While it has changed the school experience and work experience for me, I do believe we have opened a wide door of opportunities to improve the future. Despite the sameness, I must say, I didn’t have as much trouble with technology as I thought I would. And it has opened me up to the possibility of remote work and living. It does seem tiring and boring to continuously do work from the comfort of your home, however, it will not nearly be as monotonous if we could do work from anywhere in the world. This is just the beginning, I think. And though this semester didn’t go as I expected, I do see the possibilities for the future.

Read other articles by Angela Tongohan