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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.

The summer has come to an end as the leaves begin to fall, and as the weather starts to become colder across the USA, we are entering a new chapter of human existence. The change in the seasons and the new school year has brought a new set of emotions and environments for many people worldwide. Many of us have seen more people in the last month than in the previous six months, meaning that interacting with other students and teachers can seem foreign, after many months of only seeing your friends or teachers over zoom. For me, this last month has been uniquely tricky compared to the (equally or more complicated) months of quarantine, as I became less accustomed to handling a large workload and have experienced social anxiety. I frequently ask myself questions such as, “how has social distancing made it harder to make true friendships?” “am I learning enough?” “am I trying hard enough” and “how do I care for my mental health and keep up my grades?”. All these questions tie broadly into something that arose in a new environment: the unknown we have to become accustomed to. I see myself completely unsure about my future and the present moment, unlike ever before, due to the many factors of not complete experience in college and the future. It feels as if I am back in school and not at the same time perceiving I am not getting the “full” experience of college I expected to get, but being grateful to what I am given. Once I question my surroundings and see how “different” I am experiencing my life than ever before, I know the importance of embracing what we don’t know and following my intuitions.