For many senior year students at Loyola, living off campus was already planned months in advance. Leases were signed and living arrangements were final way before Covid-19 hit us as hard as possible.
As many of us know, and for those that don’t know, Loyola was planning on having students back on campus this fall, but ultimately could not follow through with their plan. Students were informed in early August that all classes would be virtual for the Fall 2020 semester.
Unfortunately for many, off-campus houses were still in the possession of students and it would be a waste of time and money if people decided to stay at home and pay rent for an apartment or home down in Baltimore.
As a senior year student living in Baltimore, taking online classes and not having much to do outside of hanging out with people in your house, it could take a toll on people. There are only so many activities you can take part in during a pandemic like this. Fortunately for myself, I find myself busy for the most part. I start my day by waking up, eating breakfast and doing the usual as most people do.
Once my day kicks off with classes, I have to structure my time and do things wisely. I don’t necessarily plan out my day, but when I know I have assignments to be done, or classes to take, I structure the other things around that.
A current senior in the same situation is Mike Delia. Delia is living in a house with 6 other students and manages his time wisely. He wants to make the most out of his day all while completing his tasks at hand.
“I started planning out my meals; it keeps my mind busy and helps me get through the day. Studying from home is somewhat tricky. We all have different schedules and there are times where I will be in class but my roommates aren’t and we have to be aware of each other. ” said Delia.
For Mike, eating is an important thing to him as he also wakes up early in the morning to run. He is currently training for a half marathon, and when you are active like that, eating is just as important as the physical activity itself.
“Nothing has really changed for me running and lifting wise. The only thing I have to be aware of is having my mask on at all times since the gym mandates that.”
His days are jam packed, but he manages his time well. You can always find him doing homework, in class, going to the gym or trying to find something for the housemates to do on the weekends.
“I try to structure my days with something else besides class. Because they are later in the morning and afternoon, I don’t want to sacrifice my mornings.”
There are plenty of Loyola seniors and juniors living off campus this year, and everyone is in the same situation. It is not easy to take online classes and be stuck in a house all while following the protocols that are going to help decrease the chance of another spike in cases.
Although everyone here is in this situation, people are making the best of what they have and that’s all that counts.
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