Reflections On Being a Psychology Student During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Ava Chiovatero
Whether we want to admit it or not, the pandemic has affected each and every one of us.
Most of my senior year of high school was during the pandemic, and all of my college experience thus far at the University of Georgia has been during the pandemic as well.
For college students, it is undeniable that the pandemic has had an effect on our education. Lately, I have been reflecting on both the difficult AND the positive effects that the pandemic has had on my experience as an undergraduate psychology student. Because after all, one way that I like to counteract a heavy topic is to acknowledge how it may have been difficult for you while also examining some positive aspects it has brought you!
To start, I am not an online-learner. Technology is not my forte! Therefore, jumping into my first semester of college…in a new state, with no friends, AND all online classes…was difficult to say the least.
Many, many hours spent staring at a computer screen learning about history before the 1800s and DNA replication made me dread and feel nervous about the next four years of my new life. Needless to say, this was not how I imagined college to be, especially as a psychology student who, quite frankly, does not care that DNA has to be copied before a cell divides.
Being an introvert, I struggled to make connections with my classmates and professors. Clubs were not taking place and social gatherings were understandably prohibited, causing making friends to feel like an overwhelming task. If you have felt this feeling before, you are most definitely not alone.
Despite the struggles I faced entering college, it was not all thorns and storms. With time, patience, and many gen-ed classes, I was able to take my beloved psychology classes.
Through taking these classes during the pandemic, I came to some realizations: therapy can be for all, and mental health & therapy are in the process of being destigmatized (yay!).
The pandemic is a hard time; it is my personal belief that anyone can get something out of therapy, and that something is different for everyone. I do acknowledge the privilege that accessing therapy entails, but if it is accessible to you, therapy is a great consideration if you are struggling, need support, etc.
You do not have to be at your lowest to seek help!
Another thing that I have learned is that therapy and mental health are in the process of becoming more destigmatized every day. Hearing my peers talk openly about mental health, therapy, medication, and everything in-between, is incredibly refreshing. While the work of destigmatizing mental health and therapy is not over, it is becoming more and more talked about and accepted. Hooray for that! We can continue to do our part in learning more about mental health, being aware of the language we use surrounding mental health, and talking openly about mental health.
Being a student amidst the pandemic has not been an easy feat, but I would love to share five tips that have helped me along the journey:
Put yourself out there. Get out of your comfort zone, try new things; you are capable of more than you think. You can do hard things.
Be yourself. When you are your most authentic self, you attract the people that are meant for you. If people only accept you for an inauthentic version of yourself, then they are not your people, and that is okay! Just as everyone is not for you, it is okay if you are not for everyone.
This will pass. Difficult moments may feel like the end-all-be-all, but they do pass. You have survived all of your hardest days. Difficult feelings are not forever. Give yourself grace throughout difficult times.
Focus on progress over perfection. College is so much more than earning good grades. It is a time when we discover more about ourselves, learn about adulthood and being independent, and so much more. Success is not always defined in the numbers.
Have fun! Life does not have to be so serious all of the time. Something I like to do is ask myself, “will I look back on this in five years and find it important?/what do I want to remember in five years?”–ex: fun memories with friends vs. spending hours on a homework assignment. (Cue the song “Why So Serious by Alice Merton”). You deserve to have fun and enjoy your life.
