Paper 3 draft:
When I first heard the word “Coronavirus,” I don’t think that it struck me as more than just another crazy disease similar to ebola. In the past, there have been diseases similar to this, but never in my own country. Never in my life have I had to endure a pandemic, or the rapid spread of such an ominous danger. In college, it’s easy to get lost in your own world, with your only thoughts being about friends and school. Ignoring outside news becomes pretty easy, because unless it directly affects you, it is easy to just continue on campus. However, as COVID-19 began taking over the news, I didn’t know that my freshman year was that close to being over.
When UNE announced that the rest of the semester would be online, I was shocked. Online schooling was something that I knew almost nothing about, and the thought baffled me. To me, the importance of college goes beyond just schooling, but also making memories and meeting friends. Experiencing living on a campus and going to college is a vital part of growing up. When realizing that I would be missing a portion of this, due to coronavirus, I began to realize that it was something that had to be taken seriously. Within days, every school in the state of Maine and many neighboring states had cancelled for the semester. Organizations such as the NBA, NHL, etc began closing all around the country. It was, and still is one of the craziest shut downs i’ve ever seen the world in.
As soon as the word “quarantine” started floating around, I think that everyone began having serious fears of what was to come. For many college students, realizing that living at home for 5 months was a pretty scary future. Being limited to only our own houses while the world endured the coronavirus was not something that many people had seen coming so fast. Even for parents across the country, working from home was something that many of them were not accustomed to, and weren’t sure how to approach.
One thing that staying home has shown me however, is the importance that friends play in people’s lives. Whether it be social media, or even in my own personal life, friends haven’t been appreciated as they are now. Everyone across the world is realizing how many simple pleasures are taken for granted in a time where people can’t do anything. Not being able to see my friends or just go out whenever I want has probably been the hardest part of the coronavirus. Not having the same freedom as before has made me realize how many simple daily things I took for granted. Basic trips like going out to dinner, and going to a friends house are now not possible. Limiting social interaction for extended periods of time is something that I think many people didn’t realize would be so difficult.
For me, any excuse to get out of the house and go take a walk, go fishing, etc is something that I crave now. With my mom still at work everyday, interacting with people, it makes it difficult at home as well. Daycares are considered an essential business in the state of Connecticut, and she therefore still has to go to work everyday. This is tough, as there is always a chance that she could get the virus, or encounter someone who has it. Going outside and getting fresh air has never been such a significant part of my life, because I have never really viewed it as much. It’s such a simple thing to do, and there’s really nothing holding anyone back from doing it whenever they please. Now however, I view it as a very important part of my day. Being sure to get outside and do something has to be a planned event now. With the spread of the Coronavirus, I have begun to realize how significant a role the outdoors and nature plays in my life.
Along with the importance of the outdoors, I have also learned another very important lesson. In staying home to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus, I have also started to realize the importance of thinking of others before yourself. I have realized that going out and doing social activities for unnecessary reasons is just endangering others. Myself, along with everyone else across the world just want this whole thing to end. Being sure to think of how your actions may affect others will be the fastest way to achieve this. I have realized recently that many people across the world are affected by this in much greater ways than I am. For some, if they catch the coronavirus, it could mean the end of their lives rather than just a sickness they must overcome. In seeing this importance, I have been able to reduce my stress and hope that this pandemic will be over soon so that everyone can continue as life was before.
