With the Coronavirus’
unpredictable nature and fluctuating impact, it is hard for one to be at peace
with themselves and the environment they settle in, be it a compact home, or
even a university residence, such as in my case.
اضافة اعلان
Travelling from Jordan
nearly toward the end of the first pandemic wave, I now reside as a second-year
student, going into the third year, at the
Carleton University campus in
Canada, a campus which opened its arms fully to me and offered me all the
support needed, even though we were and are still studying online.
Sitting at home and
learning from afar, without being on this beautiful, caring campus, was no
option for me and for many university-age students.
When the pandemic took the
globe by surprise in March 2020, I was rushed home, amidst fear and uncertainty
and upon the summons of my parents, on the last Royal Jordanian plane took off
from Montreal.
I was quarantined for 14
days in a comfortable hotel in Amman and another two weeks at home. I had a
great time with my family, but by July I was ready to defy COVID-19 and head
back to my campus, in spite of the anxiety and the risk.
We need campus life, even
if there were no face-to-face classes, and we need some campus facilities, some
friends, and some support offices. Even a small walk or excursion on this
beautiful campus means a lot to me and, I am sure, to the few students who
“roughed it” like me.
Certainly, my
journey here was not without challenges and difficulties relating to adapting
and confining to a familiar, yet very different setting.
As I took my first steps
outside of the Ottawa International Airport and made my way towards the
residence, I could not help but notice the nearly empty streets that were once
filled with life. I stumbled upon a couple of squirrels roaming freely, extremely happy
to have all this space.
And yet, I saw no sight of
any students, such as myself. I made my way into the dormitory only to realize
I was the first student on my entire floor. The same hallway I passed by to
enter my room was once filled with many enthusiastic and excited students who
were ready to interact with one another in hopes of creating new friendships
and acquaintances.
However, it would be hard
to say that with such a change new opportunities were not available. Online
learning to me was a challenge in and of itself. However, it was a challenge
that I gladly took on as I went through lectures and assignments in the comfort
of my room. Not being able to attend classes physically, led me to find ways to
be productive with minimal distractions and minimal resources.
I was able to find
productivity in activities I had not experimented with before COVID-19; I went
jogging by the canal, I started writing short stories in my free time, and I decided
to enjoy the process of taking pictures of the beautiful outdoors of Ottawa.
After finally taking the
vaccine, and the unfamiliarity and unexpectedness of the pandemic gradually
diminished, I started to enjoy meeting with the friends and students who
started showing up in bigger numbers to campus, and student residences
especially. Not exactly a full campus life, but still very fulfilling.
As an international student,
I would say COVID-19 was a shock at first, to say the least, especially when I
realized the social freedom that drives my university was practically taken
away by a force we cannot see, but certainly can feel its negative impact
worldwide.
However, hope is
maintained through the unexpected ways in which such an event can create new
means of coping and filling in our precious time.
I know that till now,
since COVID-19 has not come to an end, many students worldwide are hesitant to
leave the comfort of home and head back to campuses which — like mine — open
their arms fully to them. The choice is a difficult one, of course: online at
home, or online on campus — almost alone!
However, despite COVID-19,
and may be because of it, I feel lucky I took the risk, took my chances, and
made it.
“Where there is a will,
there is a way.” How true and how profound this saying is!
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