Brenna Roberts
Associate Sports Editor ‘21
It has been almost three week since we learned about the severity of COVID-19.We were told we could not return to Merrimack until April, at the earliest, and now it is looking as if we will not return at all this semester. For any college student, this is an extremely stressful time and we do not know exactly how this is going to play out. It is something we have never had to deal with before. Everyone is panicky right now, but for college students, this is a different type of anxiety.
We now have to learn how to navigate online learning, which is something we have never done before, and many people are losing on-campus jobs that helped pay the bills, senior athletes have lost entire last seasons of game play, and much more.
How are we supposed to continue with tests and projects that determine our grades? Is it right to continue with getting a letter grade in our classes at the end of the semester? Or is it better to pass/fail? The college is currently working on measures to figure this out for us but for now, it is all up in the air.
In addition to academic anxiety there is the issue of refunds. Many of us paid a housing deposit and paid for half a semester that we do not even get to finish on campus. The same thing goes for meal plans and parking passes.
There are many uncertainties and reasons for us to be scared and anxious. It is understandable that during a time like this, many of us tend to overthink and worry about what is going to happen in the future. But we have to remember that everyone is in the same boat. And while you cannot control the outside world, you can take steps to prioritize your mental and emotional health.
Although we have all the time in the world now, which means plenty of time to sleep in, it is important to keep a routine. Getting up at a decent time each morning helps to keep you motivated. Once you are up for the day it is easier to get more things done. Here is a list of some things that can help to keep you distracted, calm, and focused on things you can control:
- Going for a walk or a run
- Make yourself breakfast
- Start a new Netflix show
- Paint something (Ocean State Job Lot has a pack of 18 paints for $5 and canvases for $3)
- Build a fort with your sibling
- Have a movie marathon
- Walk your dog
- Read a book
- Get ahead on your homework
- Write about how you are feeling during this time so you don’t keep it bottled up
- Make your family dinner
- Have a self care day
- Make cookies
- Write your grandparents a letter
- FaceTime your college friends
- Start a fitness social media account to motivate yourself and others
- Rearrange your room
- CLEAN YOUR ROOM (you have so much time now, so no more excuses)
- Go for a walk in a park or on a trail (if it’s still open and there are not a lot of people)
- Play boardgames
- Make TikToks! (they are super fun and silly)
- Write a short story
- Have a fun photo shoot in your house with any household objects you have
- Get rid of some of your old clothes
There are so many more things you can do during this time. It is important for us to remember that even though this will eventually end. We will get through this, and when it is all over, we will be grateful for every experience we have. Next time someone invites us somewhere we will not think twice about accepting the offer. We will appreciate every sunset. We will appreciate every time we get to hug someone we care about. Although this is a difficult time, there are things we can do to make ourselves feel better, and hopefully we will all emerge from this with more gratitude for the little things.
