The coronavirus pandemic has affected millions of people across the globe, including college students. Schools and colleges have shifted classes online for the rest of the semester, graduation and other school activities have been canceled and students’ academic plans have been affected. Many Tallahassee Community College students returned home, some students stayed in town, but all of them are doing their best to fulfill their academic requirements to finish out the semester despite the societal upheaval.
By Kaitlyn Connell | Student Submission
As COVID-19 rages across the globe, we are consumed by our own personal circumstances. Feelings of hopelessness, self-pity, and uncertainty cloud our every thought, word, and action as we attempt to muddle through our upended lives.
At the beginning of 2020, I had big plans for the summer. I was going to France for two weeks with my dance company, Wildwood Ballet, to perform and host dance workshops. It was a dream come true. Then the end of January came, with the coronavirus disease not far behind.
At the time, I could not begin to imagine the impact the virus would have on the world, much less my summer plans. As of today, my trip to France has been canceled, and I will be laid off from my job at the dance studio at the end of the month. Needless to say, I’m disappointed.
Dealing with disappointment is difficult, but it is a crucial life lesson. We have two options when life does not go our way, we can either wallow in self-pity or we can make the best of it.
Although we have no control over our current circumstances, we still have the power of our responses. So, choose to respond to the world with positivity. Who knows? It might make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Kaitlyn Connell is her first year as a full-time Tallahassee Community College student. She took several dual enrollment classes at TCC while being homeschooled.
How has this global pandemic affected your life as a TCC student / faculty member / staff member? We want to hear from you. Please send us your story. Click the link below to access the online submission form: https://forms.gle/ea4z2LjBQho8FadW7
