Being able to laugh with my friends is a feeling that I will never again take for granted.
Sarina Simpson
The events that have occurred this semester for college students worldwide are unprecedented and have led our education to have a unique format. Despite unexpected changes in our college experience, however, we have continued to grow and change by adapting to our lives on lockdown.
Personally, I have realized that no matter how unideal my situation is, I can always find a way to take advantage of how I am living to better myself. I have been using the fact that I have more free time on my hands than at any other point in my life to accomplish things that I normally would not have time to do. I can finally read everyday, after years of complaining about not having enough time to read books of my choice. Furthermore, in college I only have time to workout about four to six days a week, but at home with so much time at my disposal, I am able to workout everyday and for a much longer time than I am used to. This has been beneficial in lowering my stress levels and in bettering my mental health. I am also cooking multiple days a week for the first time in my life and surprisingly, I am learning to enjoy it. I have always stressed over the fact that when I can no longer eat at a dining hall, I will not know how to cook for myself, but now I finally have time to cook a variety of recipes every week.
Moreover, one of the most important pieces of knowledge that I have gained from this semester is not to take anything for granted. Due to the fact that I currently cannot work, dance with my team either at school or at home, go on lunch dates to my favorite restaurant in the city, or walk across the green, I have realized how much I truly love all of these simple, yet enjoyable parts of my life. I know that going forward, whenever I go to events that involve large crowds like concerts, I will relish in the moments I spend there, taking in the experience and making the most of it. I will go through life being more grateful for simple, yet meaningful experiences like laughing with my friends or even walking to McDowell on a cold, windy day.
Although this semester has been anything but ideal, I will carry the lessons that I have learned during it with me for as long as I live, and I will find more enjoyment in the things that I love. I hope that when lockdown ends and we all make our way back to UD that we are more appreciative of our college experience than before, and that we can all cherish small moments that bring us joy.
English 110 Honors Spring 2020 
To begin with, I’m happy to hear that you have been able to find the time to do things you love during this time! I really relate to appreciating the extra time for reading for pleasure and longer workouts. As for cooking… well I leave that to my parents because I would like to think my family wants to have an edible dinner. Lastly, I completely agree with not wanting to take anything for granted. Although this situation is not even close to ideal, I feel that we have all been able to learn so many valuable lessons that we will carry with us through the rest of our lives. Hope you and your family are well, and good luck with finals!
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“Your picture is what drew me to your post! The waves in the background and the natural smiles on your faces just radiate peace and happiness. It makes me smile that despite having to stay home for longer than we would like, you have found productive ways to spend your time and are having fun while doing them. I can definitely relate to having enough time for reading and cooking and honestly, in a way, I enjoy the large amount of free time we have now to do what we love and just relax. I also hope that in the near future we’ll be able to go back to campus and make memories once again! 🙂 ” -Ciana Gadut
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I really liked how your post radiates positivity even through such a difficult time in our lives. It was really awesome to read how you have taken advantage of your free time and focus bettering yourself. In quarantine, it is sometimes hard to motivate oneself to do things like working out or reading but reading about you doing those on a daily basis is awesome to hear. I liked how you dove into the idea of not taking things for granted like we all used to before the pandemic but still kept a positive point of view. The lines, “I know that going forward, whenever I go to events that involve large crowds like concerts, I will relish in the moments I spend there, taking in the experience and making the most of it”, made me think in my own mind what I am going to do in those situations and I too will be more aware to take in the moment and truly appreciate it. All in all, your post was extremely well written and it was enjoyable to read such a positive and inspiring post.
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