This semester truly was like no other other. If I learned one thing, besides how to use Zoom, I learned that we, as a society, should never take things for granted. I truly loved my time at Delaware. I have a great freshman year roommate who I love spending time with, I have made many new friends, joined clubs and even enjoyed my classes. Being sent home made me take all of this for granted. Oh how I wish I could eat breakfast with my friends at CR on a sunday morning. Oh how I wish I could walk around the flower-filled green. Oh how I wish I could venture for a meal on Main Street. All of these little things I took for granted while on campus. Each night when I went to bed I expected that I would be able to do the same thing the next day. 

During Quarantine, my family has watched many movies together. The other night we watched Frozen 2, as requested by my 5 year old cousin during our family zoom session. Ironically, a quote really stuck out at me. One of the characters said “Be prepared. Just when you think you find your way, life will throw you onto a new path.” I think that this quote may resonate with alot of us college freshmen as it sums up our story so far at UD. Just when we were all comfortable in our college life, a curveball was thrown. 

This curveball has taught me the importance of friendship and communication. As much as I’d like to be able to walk across my dorm hallway to talk to my friend, I am unable to do so. Thankfully, I am still able to communicate with everyone that I wish to talk with. My college friends and I try to do weekly group facetimes to stay updated on each other’s lives. Communication truly is a crucial aspect of humanity. I learned that at times when people may feel alone at home, it is so important to reach out to them, even just a simple text saying “Hi happy friday” can easily make someone’s day. Besides facetiming my friends, my sister and I also taught my grandmother how to facetime from her ipad. Facetiming my grandparents has become a highlight of my day because I know how much they enjoy speaking to their grandkids. These moments I will cherish and they have taught me just how much we need to always think of others.

Going forward, I hope that when we return to college, we will never take everyday tasks for granted. I hope that I realize how lucky I am to be attending a university that I love. I hope that I realize the importance of seeing my friends in person. When I am with them, I want to make a better effort to live in the moment, rather than being stuck to my phone. Afterall, face-to-face communication is one of the best characteristics of friendship.

~Caroline SanAngelo