MY LAST day on campus was just like any other, I remember walking past a crowded SEC Walk in a hurry to get home. As I made my way through the maze of cars, I recall looking down at my phone and reading about the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. Still unaware of the severity of the virus, I got in and drove off, but I had no idea that would be the last time I would see some of my block mates and professors.
When the community quarantine was imposed, it was as if the situation was never going to get better. Nonetheless, I knew back then and reaffirm now that remaining at home is necessary to help lessen the number of infections. However, being locked down indoors also felt like we were disconnected from the rest of the world or at least the world we had known.
While college students had grown accustomed to spending their days in the library, watching sports games live, or going out with friends, the lockdown relegated the vibrancy of college life to a mere laptop screen. These may seem minute with all the other problems going on in the world, but each was supplemental to the daily life of many college students—including my own. Because of this, we should be allowed to grieve over the plans we will not be able to see through due to our circumstances.
As the weeks turned into months, my friends and I hoped that we would not have to spend our entire senior year virtually. Our wishful thinking was that we would have the second semester on-site to fulfill our own bucket list of “lasts” in college. We hoped to see our last Bonfire as students, take group photos with our organizations for AEGIS, and drunkenly stumble along to McDonald’s with our best friends one more time. Unfortunately, it was announced that both semesters would be taught remotely.
Navigating the online setting throughout the first semester was turbulent for everyone, and our graduation from university after the second semester marks the first batch of Ateneans who experienced a full year of remote schooling. Despite all of our planning and all of our hopes and dreams, we will be remembered as the seniors who did not step foot on campus for our last year.
In retrospect, I can admit that the year was anything but what I had in mind. I still find myself upset over this reality sometimes, and that is okay. As young adults who wanted to make the most out of what little time we had left in college, it is reasonable to feel as though we had been robbed of a chance to make memories. Many of these memories were meant to last a lifetime. On the other hand, the sun continues to rise, and each day brings an opportunity for us to leave our legacies during our last semester.
While our senior year may not have gone as planned, we journey into the next chapter of our lives. We remain thankful for the lessons learned, tears shed, and friendships we have made throughout the past four or five years—no matter how virtual they were.
