How Covid Changed Our Lives

How COVID Changed Our Lives

By Tessa Gilbert

April 17, 2024

My Story:

As a beginning college student when covid came to light, I was lucky enough to have graduated High School and stepped foot on my college campus before everything was flipped upside down. Whether it be mental health and social lives, the shutdowns, or the changing aspects of our lives like masks and quarantines. I have decided to interview students who went through the same experience and how it has changed their lives since. 

 During the transition to online schooling, I moved back in with my parents. Life as I knew it had changed permanently. I moved back to Santa Barbara where I left off and worked through COVID. If it weren't for living with some of my best friends I would have struggled much more. Others were not so lucky. Stores were shut down, societies were forced to have a curfew, and many lost loved ones. Mental health took a huge toll during these times when we were all so confused and at odds with one another. I was able to interview two of my friends to examine how their realities differed from mine. 

The sudden lockdowns turned what was supposed to be the best years of our young adult lives into something completely unrecognizable. One moment we were planning spring break trips and midterm study sessions, and the next, everything was about packing up dorms and heading back to live with our parents indefinitely. The whole rhythm of college life—the late-night study sessions, the cafeteria hangouts, the weekend parties—all of it vanished overnight. It wasn’t just about missing out on these rites of passage; it was about losing a critical part of our social development and independence at a pivotal moment in our lives.

Adjusting to studying from home was one thing, but losing that spontaneous interaction with peers hit harder. No more bumping into friends on the way to class or making plans on the fly. Instead, every social interaction had to be planned and happened on a screen. Friendships were maintained over text messages and video calls, which helped but couldn’t fully replace being together in person. This shift didn’t just change our study habits; it altered the very way we connected with each other, leading to feelings of isolation and making it even tougher to cope with the global uncertainty around us.

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in global lockdowns and widespread school closures, putting immense mental strain on children and college students alike. A comprehensive review of the literature on PubMed and Collabovid from January 2020 to July 2021 uncovered significant findings from twenty-one studies that highlighted increased feelings of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and distress among these young populations, compared to pre-pandemic times. Notably, those residing in rural areas, from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, or connected to healthcare workers faced even greater mental health challenges. These insights emphasize the urgency for educational and mental health professionals to consider these factors when planning future hybrid teaching models and mental health interventions.

The pandemic not only disrupted educational norms but also significantly isolated young people from their social circles and traditional learning environments, exacerbating mental health issues. This situation has sparked a vital conversation about integrating face-to-face learning with digital platforms to better support students' mental health, particularly those more vulnerable to social isolation. As the academic and health communities continue to navigate these changes, the importance of maintaining social connections and addressing the unique challenges faced by students in rural or underprivileged settings has become increasingly clear. Such efforts are crucial in preventing long-term psychological impacts as students adapt to new educational landscapes post-pandemic.

      Sophie's Story

"When the pandemic hit and everything shut down, it felt like my college life was put on pause. Suddenly, all the small things I took for granted—the spontaneous meet-ups with friends, the late-night pizza runs, even just walking to class with my roommate—were stripped away."

"The hardest part, though, was not being able to see my family, especially my grandmother. We were very close, and it pained me not to visit her when she might have needed company the most. Our weekly visits turned into phone calls. While I was grateful for the technology that allowed us to stay in touch, those calls couldn't replicate the warmth of our hugs or the joy of our laughter echoing through her living room. I missed her terribly, and each day apart reminded me of the precious moments we were losing, moments we couldn’t get back. This lack of physical connection, not just with her but with all my loved ones, brought a profound sense of isolation that was hard to shake off. It was a period of my life where everything felt overwhelmingly distant and uncertain."

       Phoenix's Story

      

"My life changed during COVID-19 since I graduated high school in 2020. I didn't get to walk at graduation, I got my first taste of online school, and I started working at a grocery store. Shortly after finishing out my senior year, I quit my job at the grocery store and started working at a finished carpentry and cabinet shop. The new world that was emerging was hard to live in, with friends being sick, having to take COVID tests just to go to work, and family members falling ill. I found myself struggling to feel a sense of community, I also felt a real disconnect from my education."

Sources Cited 

Elharake, J. A., Akbar, F., Malik, A. A., Gilliam, W., & Omer, S. A. (2022, January). Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 among Children and College Students: A Systematic Review. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved April 12, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8747859/c