What have I learned? Well, that is a fantastic question. What started out at any regular semester quickly became a whirlwind of events that led to the most unnormal lifestyle I could ever imagine. Whisked away from normal classes, dorm rooms, friends, professors, and essentially locked away in my house for months on end. This was by far the strangest and most unpredictable semester of school I’ve had in my life.
Regular life is something I believe would never change. Going to classes five days a week, then going to work out at the little bob, and finishing the day doing some homework with friends was a schedule I got extremely comfortable with. Then in an instant that got taken away. We sat in English110 talking about the possibility of being sent home, but myself nor anyone else I believe actually thought it could happen, let alone so fast. I’ve learned that regular life is a privilege. Something I never even thought about. Seeing friends, going to classes, meeting with professors in person, is something I took for granted. You don’t truly realize what you have until it is gone. It’s a cliche saying, but man is that true.
This summer I hope everything slowly starts to shift back to the normal. I’m fortunate I have a roof over my head and food on the table, but I still just feel this isn’t the life a person should have to live. We are social beings. We thrive and survive off social interaction and not having that for two months has been hard. I think it is safe to say everyone feels they are going a little crazy. Well, I can tell you one thing. When this is all over I know I won’t ever take these little things for granted. I’ll enjoy each in-person class or homework session with my friends. I’m gonna make sure I have the best summer of my life, and that doesn’t involve any fancy trips. Just good moments spent with the people I love. That is what I miss the most and is what I will cherish the most from now on.
English 110 Spring 2020 10:10-11:00 
Max, I appreciated your casual, to the point writing and your ability to provide an enjoyable read along with that. I agree that this semester, was strange an unpredictable, as quite honestly so is this entire situation, but with that comes the task to continue on a path forward. I am glad your schedule at school became second nature, as it did for myself and I am sure many others. Unfortunately, the level of normality that we live through each day can change in an instant; just as you said “you don’t truly realize what you have until it is gone,” the cliché holds true, and it really does exemplify the nature of our present day.
Although life at school was challenging, it afforded us independence, a new routine in a new place, and gave us the friends we never thought we’d meet. I never thought something like this would happen, and that I would be typing this from my desk at home, but it did and all we can do is accept it and push forward. While there were times I wanted to be alone or not deal with being social, that the exact thing I wish I had.
This is a struggle for everyone, and I too hope that at some point this summer we can resume normal life to an extent, or at least resume human contact. Great writing, Max!
-Toni Abdy
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max,
i really appreciated this piece to a deep level because the words sounded like they were taken right out of my own mouth. I too had gotten into a schedule, a groove if you will, at UD and loved how everything was going and i too had not expected all of this to happen, let alone so quickly. I mean who would? I hate that i am constantly saying that ‘you dont know what you have until its gone’ because its sooo cliche but cliches are cliches for a reason. We underappreciate probably everything in our lives. We are so fortunate to be able to even be at UD in the first place, to have all these friends and oppurtunities, to have a home to go home to, to be safe and healthy, and so much more. I have been trying to hold it together and stay positive because, as another cliche once said, ‘this too shall pass’ but i will admit, things are getting pretty sticky. I am starting to lose it a little bit and i CRAVE an escape and humsn contact with my peers and a different space to thrive. I crave being on my own again as we were so rudely stripped of with this whole pandemic. I already know i am going to be itching so bad for the whole month of august to be shipped back to Newark (hopefully). I really hope and will try to do just as you said, to cherish the little moments with the people i love and the silly things that happen everyday that we take for granted. I hope that is what i can take away from this literally unbelievable semester. I want to stop taking it all for granted because you never know what you have until its gone.
Thank you for this piece and all the other truly awesome pieces you have shared this semester. I have enjoyed reading every comment you have left and every piece you have submitted. I hope all is well and that finals week goes well. Have a healthy and fun (if you can) summer! 🙂
-caroline erlandsen
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