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Reflections on getting back to UTSG Campus in a Post-Covid World: Dealing with Loss and Recovery
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Date: September 30th, 2021
By: Yasamin Jameh; 2021-2022 NMCSU Blogger
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Like most of us after a year and a half of online schooling, struggling to find work-life balance while being stuck at home, and suffering personal traumas, I was naturally ecstatic to finally be able to come back to campus for my first class on Thursday, September 9th. I counted the days leading up to September 9th, and meticulously planned my commute from where I live to downtown Toronto, something I had done only once or twice during the whole Pandemic! With a childish excitement that I have not had since my Back-to-School days in elementary school, I even prepared my outfit, organized my stationery supplies in my backpack, and prepped my lunch in anticipation for the Big Day. But only a day before the first day of classes, I received an email from most of my professors that their classes were going to be online until at least two more weeks per university guidelines. And hence I snapped out of my short-lived kiddish naivete and realized that we are still living in a Pandemic and its long-lasting consequences, and I was so foolish to think otherwise (cue the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme music in the background https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9RAZxNdCk8).
Most of my fellow UTSG students, especially those in their upper years like me who have tasted university life before COVID-19, can most probably relate to my sense of melancholy. The feeling of really wanting to go to campus just like it was pre-March 2020, only to realize that there are pesky restrictions still in place. For example, having to complete UCheck questionnaires daily, wearing masks that hinder your ability to recognize people and breathe properly while dashing across campus and climbing stairs to reach your classroom, having to still do online classes for at least two more weeks although you intentionally picked all your classes to be “In-Person”, and having restricted access to some of the best university amenities like the gyms or the Multi-Faith Centre Building. I may sound a bit fastidious with my expectations, but these are true reflections on my first day on Sep.15th when I commuted to Campus for my first in-person class of the year, a two-hour seminar class on post-Cold War Foreign Policy, which is the only class I have had that was in-person from its onset (God bless my Professor for his decision to make it be so!).
Once at UTSG, I realized how much I had forgotten my directions including what routes to take to get to certain less prominent buildings on campus, or what subway stations were closest to which part of campus, or finding study spaces where TALKING IS ALLOWED in order to do my online classes or meetings. The latter was one of my biggest challenges while on campus since many of them were closed or more than half of the seats were prohibited from use. As you may have realized already, during the pandemic U of T has undertaken major construction projects with the largest one at King’s College Circle. Other smaller constructions projects are going on in some department buildings and colleges including at the New College Lounge which was one of my favourite places to study. For those looking to find a space, this article provides a good start. This article does not mention the many smaller study spaces like department lounges, so definitely check with your department to see if they are open. For one, the NMC Undergraduate and Graduate Lounges are open (although at a limited capacity of course).
If I felt disoriented and in awe of returning back, I can’t imagine how foreign UTSG might feel to new students. I feel for them for not getting to experience campus in pre-Pandemic times like going around buildings with no masks or restrictions, having in-person meetings for clubs and student organizations, going to many networking events where free food and snacks were provided in abundance, or just having impromptu meetings with your friends after classes. BUT! This does not mean you won’t have these experiences at some point when things open up more. My general suggestion to any incoming student is to enjoy your time here as is and don’t push yourself academically too hard. U of T students are an ambitious bunch and want to excel academically no matter what, even at the expense of their mental or physical health. So know your limits, and please don’t feel pressured to complete a full course load each semester or meet deadlines that you know are not possible for you to achieve due to your part-time job, extracurricular activities, or personal hardships. Ask your professors and TAs for more time if needed, they too are living in this post-Pandemic world and can sympathize with your struggles if you take the time to talk to them genuinely. Alternatively, you can book an appointment with your Registrar in order to plan your academic roadmap more effectively while also balancing it with other aspects of your life.
I know many of us are feeling exhausted after living through another COVID Summer, feel melancholic about what we have lost in the last year and a half, and/or feel overwhelmed by whatever comes along with moving to working and studying “in-person” again. Please be easy on yourself, and look at the full half of the glass: that you are healthy and privileged enough to return to at least a semblance of how life used to be. Many others were not as lucky as you.
Thanks for sticking with me till here, I’ll be your NMCSU blogger for this year!