Marist Freshman, Navigating the New Normal

How the Class of 2024 is Adjusting to College During a Pandemic

For many freshman, the college experience this semester is not what the expected. But even with the social distancing protocols and regulations, they're making he best of it. Source: Dylan Friedman

Marist College’s class of 2024, like the rest of the student body, is persevering through the new college experience brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the disappointment of not receiving a standard freshman experience, this year’s freshman class is grateful that they get to spend any time on a college campus. 

After all, with many schools going fully remote quickly after their reopening, spending a year on campus is not a guarantee anymore. Gabriel Castillo-Sanchez ‘24, maintains a positive outlook on the start of his collegiate experience, He said after finishing his senior year of high school online, he is “glad to be able to study and socialize in an academic environment once again.” 

Fellow freshman Emma King ‘24 also sees the positives of this unconventional college experience. She said that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced her to be on a more structured schedule and be more intentional about the people and places she is around. Expectation management is one potential reason why these freshmen are making the most of the college experience.

Carlos Vasquez ‘24 knew this years' experience was not going to be typical. “I was expecting a lot of rules and procedures to keep us safe,” he said. Castillo-Sanchez shared this thought and that although there has been more “time management and scheduling involved to help stay on track,” he finds that these changes from the pandemic have been manageable.   

Castillo-Sanchez dives deeper into his experience thus far. Although he has not had any “bad” experiences, he still feels the same stressors that any college freshman during a normal semester would. “The constant deadlines for assignments and papers always keep me in an anxious mood. This can sometimes lead to stress, which I did expect of the college experience. With so much going on during weekdays, I definitely have taken the time to cherish my weekends a bit more,” he said. “Whether it's taking advantage of no classes to get more sleep or getting a hot breakfast at the empty dining hall during weekend mornings.” 

Although the social aspect of college has not been what he had hoped, Vasquez has still found ways to connect and make new friends. He said that often, him and his friends will go to the basketball courts and “just play, talk, and listen to music for a few hours.” 

Socializing in a group of one’s peers has not always been a given, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However Castillo-Sanchez said that the amount of time he has gotten to spend with his peers is exactly what he expected. “I had always imagined college to be an interactive environment where I am constantly around friends and always doing something with others,” he said. “This part of college has met my expectations.” 

Despite these challenging times, it seems as though Marist’s class of 2024 is persevering and making the most of their college experience this year. While they are making the most out of the only collegiate experience they have ever known, with a little luck, hopefully this will not be the only year they have to spend socially-distanced.