Shreya Sriram ECON '22
What does your current living situation look like and what does it make you feel?
Shreya: I am currently an RA living in a single on campus right now. My dorm has a ~40% occupancy rate so things are pretty quiet here. My dorm is open primarily for underclassmen with extenuating circumstances that require them to return to campus. As a third-year here, I can't say I have made too many friends within my building. It's been sort of lonely but luckily I have friends off campus whom I can catch up with over a cup of coffee or dinner (all outdoors of course) but ultimately, I do return to my isolated room.
What do you miss most about in-person classes or being on campus?
Shreya: I miss the small interactions and bump-in's you have with friends, a classmate, or just any familiar face. Northwestern has one of the most beautiful college campuses in the nation and it is especially gorgeous with the changing Fall colors. I wish us students, especially the first-years, were able to experience the crisp Evanston air during walks to and from classes, on the way to meet some hallmates at a dining hall, or on a weekend adventure with your new group. I remember the precious sentiment derived from a small but meaningful coincidental-run-in-turned-1-hour-catch-up-session with an old friend you haven't seen recently. Unknowingly, it was in these seemingly inconsequential interactions through which the soul of a college experience is borne.
How has remote learning been for you? Have you implemented creative studying habits?
Shreya: Remote learning has been a double-edged sword so far. On one hand, the issues of accounting for travel time, fixing up appearances, and accommodations/venue logistics have all been eliminated, which resulted in more time to prepare for the actual meeting with even a few minutes to spare. On the other hand, it seems everyone came to the same realization quickly, and just like that, those spare minutes were all scheduled up into more meetings. Essentially, it has become normal to book up a day with 5 or 6 straight hours of Zoom calls because the mentality of "what else are you doing?" has cemented itself in some minds. It has been hard to maintain the mental and emotional stamina to brave long stretches of time parked in front of my laptop staring into a screen but it has helped me make the most of the time I *do* have off. The earlier incidents of blue light-induced migraines have also motivated me to take care of my eyes in relation to electronics for once.
Meditating, practicing mindfulness, and ensuring I have a healthy diet and amount of sleep have all been really helpful. Having my main source of physical activity (walking around campus to get to my meetings/classes) go obsolete, I have been forced to be more conscious and meaningful about exercise. I've also found that some meetings do not need to be a Zoom call but rather could be summarized in a message. Most importantly, staying focused and positive is definitely easier when you take a few minutes to get to know the other folks on Zoom. Those friendly relationships and connections that come so easily in person might not be as natural through a device but are just as impactful and uplifting.
Is there anything else you would like to share? Any silver linings?
Shreya: I think this transition to Zoom has been in the making for a while and its arrival has just been expedited by the onset of COVID-19. As a pre-med student, I've been following the rise of Telemedicine and, seeing how successful that was going, it was only a matter of time until the corporate world adopted this model as well. Virtual meetings with offshore teams or with clients across the world have now been proven to work and achieve the ultimate objective. The now decreased financial and human costs are now invaluable to companies. Working from home allows most to spend more time with families and it feels as though the little break the world took while we all readjusted to this "new normal" seemed to come at the time it was most needed.
Mason Fritz ECON '21
What does your current living situation look like and what does it make you feel?
Mason: I moved back home to Arizona to be with my 70-year-old father and help minimize his contact with the outside world by running errands, since he is at high risk for COVID. I am especially worried about my father having lost my mother during the summer. I love my father dearly and we never argue but being stuck in a house with the same person for weeks on end can make even small, innocuous behavior sometimes grating and at times infuriating. We make the most of our extra time together and have redecorated the house, since he now has the time being retired. I am incredibly lucky to have such a loving household, and I am also lucky to have a handful of friends who live in town and who also socially distance. I go to see them when I need a break from the monotony of being stuck at home most of the time.
What do you miss most about in-person classes or being on campus?
Mason: I do not miss in-person classes in the slightest. Being able to access lectures and lecture materials on my own time is a blessing and should be the norm, even after the pandemic. I miss my friends, but I simply would not feel comfortable seeing them out of fear of bringing back COVID to my vulnerable family. I do also miss being able to row with NU Crew.
How has remote learning been for you? Have you implemented creative studying habits?
Mason: Remote learning is difficult, and I simply can't focus for the length of a lecture. I often will multi-task and do work for other classes during synchronous lectures so I can get salient points while still being productive. For asynchronous lectures, I watch them all at 1.5 speed to maximize my time. For me, it's impossible to implement creative study habits because, without the division of home and workplace, the workday simply bleeds into and overtakes my free time. I desperately miss being able to work in coffee shops.
Is there anything else you would like to share? Any silver linings?
Mason: If I had to take exams like normally after losing my mother, I might have lost my mind. But being able to take exams open-note in most of my classes is an absolute blessing that makes education tolerable during the incredible stress of the world's current situation.
Peri Ehlman ECON '21
What does your current living situation look like and what does it make you feel?
Peri: Fall quarter, I lived at a hotel in Evanston with my roommate, who is also an Economics major. It was a bit difficult to stay focused and take classes since we didn't have desks and would share a kitchen counter to eat, attend class, and do homework.
What do you miss most about in-person classes or being on campus?
Peri: I love walking to/from class with my friends and peers and also usually making a new friend each quarter. I miss running into friends during late nights in the library and walks on Sheridan Road.
How has remote learning been for you? Have you implemented creative studying habits?
Peri: Some of the highlights of my week are when I get to work on homework assignments with friends via FaceTime and Zoom.
Is there anything else you would like to share? Any silver linings?
Peri: I would never have predicted that this is what my senior year would look like. However, I will be graduating in March and hope to make the most of my final quarter of classes at Northwestern!
Mason Naung ECON '23
What does your current living situation look like and what does it make you feel?
Mason: Since the global lockdown began in the late March, I have been staying in Evanston because there was no flight back to Burma. The spring quarter was tough but the P/N option was a silver lining. Starting from summer, I subletted an apartment with a friend and luckily did a summer research and two summer classes to keep myself occupied. I wouldn't say the online learning is that bad, but life would have been a lot easier and I would have made more friends in a typical spring and summer quarter.
What do you miss most about in-person classes or being on campus?
Mason: Well, I miss a lot of things, from rushing to the next class from the south to north campus, the Meal Exchange at Lisa's to getting lost in the Tech building. I miss making new friends with people from new classes at the beginning of each quarter.
How has remote learning been for you? Have you implemented creative studying habits?
Mason: I tried various methods, but still less productive than before. It is particularly hard to watch a two-hour recorded lecture non-stop since you can end up in YouTube just in one click and there is no one to monitor you. Sometimes, one hour recorded lecture took me the whole morning. I downloaded an app called 'self control' to block social media and YouTube on my computer so that I could focus on my study. It is a lot better now, but the worst thing is getting into breakout rooms with strangers where you don't know how to start the conversation.
