Staff
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the world, many things have changed since the pandemic began and some things may never go back to the way they were before Covid. The pandemic has especially left an impact on the college experience.
As a person going for a 2 year degree I have spent the majority of my college experience during the pandemic. Freshman year of college for me was filled with on campus activities, a full cafeteria, sporting events, and full classrooms. Nowadays, Iowa Central feels emptier on campus, The cafeteria is never full, sporting events are less occurring, and all student activities are virtual.
Students, including myself spend days at a time in their dorm due to classes being mainly held on zoom. While it’s great to get an education, it’s been a lot harder for students to get through the semester because every day feels the same. Wake up, Log on, Log off, turn in the assignments on canvas, and that’s about it.
Luke Johnson, a student at Iowa Central had a rough time adjusting to the new age of college and virtual learning first semester. “It was tough at first, I made a lot of friends the first semester off in person classes alone. Sometimes you get cabin fever doing all your classes in the same room.”
While the pandemic has affected many many great things, mental health for younger adults doesn’t seem to be addressed nearly as much as it should be. Different people have been affected differently by the pandemic. Some people have flourished during the pandemic, and some people have been very depressed and negatively affected by it.
Matt English another student at Iowa Central, told me he has lost over 20 pounds since the start of the pandemic. “I used the pandemic as motivation to start hitting the gym consistently.”
While it’s great that some students are doing great during the pandemic, other people have been negatively affected by it. Being away from home and family can be tough for students, and now that the pandemic has taken away around 75% of human interaction and group gatherings, It makes it much easier for students to get lonely and or depressed.
