My plans to transfer to Gonzaga University in the fall of 2020 came to a halt as the Covid-19 pandemic was well underway. I had already gotten accepted to GU and was fully prepared to move to Washington that summer, but there was suddenly so much uncertainty and confusion in my life and the world. I had no idea if classes were going to be in person or how things would play out. Moreover, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to move across the U.S. just to be doing online classes all day.
It was a tough decision, but I ultimately decided to go ahead and move to Washington in the summer of 2020. I had already committed, and I was ready to move, even with all the unknowns. So on August 1st of 2020, I flew out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Spokane International Airport, ready to start my next phase of college.
My first year at Gonzaga was not all I envisioned it to be. Due to Covid precautions, I spent most of my days sitting in my apartment in Zoom classes. I had a hard time staying focused on Zoom and I found it very challenging to learn virtually and retain much information. My second semester was slightly better, and I had two hybrid courses, but things were still pretty tough. It wasn’t easy to meet new people only having Zoom classes, and I was rarely on campus. Overall, my first year at GU felt very isolated, and it was tough to get through. Another thing that was a bit of an adjustment was the classes themselves. University-level classes are a bit more demanding than what I was used to at NOVA, and it took a bit of adjusting to that. One thing that really helped me during this time was that I had some family nearby that I would visit every couple of weeks. My aunt, uncle, and cousins live about 20 minutes away from campus, which was nice to have in such an isolating time of my life.
Luckily, this year has been so much different. My classes have been almost all in person, and things have seemed somewhat ‘normal’ compared to the last couple of years. I’ve been able to get more involved on campus, go to basketball games, and meet more people, which has been great. I have also enjoyed my classes a lot more. Being in a physical classroom during lectures is so much better and easier to pay attention and engage in.
Looking back, my college journey has had its ups and downs but ultimately, deciding to attend community college for two years and then transferring ended up being a great choice. Although sometimes I wonder how things would have been if I had just gone straight to a university, I am really grateful for how things turned out. I have grown a lot over these past four years and have gained lots of experience in various ways. All of the challenges that I have faced and the things that haven’t gone my way have really taught me a lot about resilience and making do with what you have, and for that I am very thankful.
