By Maddie Garvis\/\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fear and stress college students, and all people, are experiencing during this pandemic could have long-term impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople have lost the sense of safety we\u2019ve always had,\u201d Dean of Chapel Beth O\u2019Malley said. \u201cWith everything that\u2019s going on, it can feel like there\u2019s no place to rest where we don\u2019t have to be vigilant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hood students are facing increased stress and pressure as they deal with a combination of the challenges of an ordinary college experience and the challenges of a worldwide pandemic, all at once. O\u2019Malley said that the pandemic has added extra pressures and worries on college students that have never existed for them before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn our culture, there is so much pressure to perform, succeed, compete, look your best, and other pressures,\u201d O\u2019Malley said. \u201cCOVID has added an extra, very heavy layer to that. Students are trying to navigate their college experience, and it\u2019s like coming to an intersection where 15 different roads converge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hood, like many other academic institutions nationwide, has made some efforts to alleviate pressure on students, with limited success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic resulted in the canceling of the normally week-long spring break, to discourage students from travelling. This cancellation has had a considerable impact on students, as it has resulted in a virtually non-stop workload from the beginning of February to the end of May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its place was Wellness Week, a week of activities for students to participate in, during which professors were asked to lighten the workload on students to give them a little bit of a break. The college has also introduced wellness days into the academic calendar, giving students a day off from classes every few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many students said that their professors assigned the same amount of work as any other week, so that aspect of the week wasn\u2019t much different. \u201cI think wellness week was a good idea in theory, but we still had classes and homework to be stressed about,\u201d sophomore Tommy O\u2019Neill said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheyenne Bowman, a graduate intern with Hood Counseling, said that college students everywhere are mourning the normal college experience, resulting in a sense of collective loss. Bowman has been seeing students for virtual counseling sessions for the past two semesters and said that she has seen a lot more students this semester when compared to fall 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bowman said that virtual counseling isn\u2019t necessarily less helpful or effective than in-person sessions, but it certainly is different. She said that virtual counseling is actually easier for a lot of students, and more flexible and able to fit into students\u2019 busy schedules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s easier for people to schedule counseling when it\u2019s just something they can do on their computer right after class,\u201d Bowman said. \u201cBut I do really wish I could be there with someone. There\u2019s so much value to being there and sitting with someone when they\u2019re really struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nationally, many people have concerns about going back to normal life, as found in a special report from NBC News. Mental health professionals recommend that people with social anxiety start to gradually participate in social situations, because continuing to avoid them will only make the anxiety worse, according to NBC\u2019s report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hood College Senior Caylee Winpigler said that she\u2019s had a hard time staying motivated during the pandemic as she\u2019s been doing classes completely virtual from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPrior to the pandemic, I think everyone knew I was a very go, go, go kind of person, and now there’s nowhere to go,\u201d Winpigler said. \u201cI find a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment in interacting with people, helping others, and having an active life. Running across campus between events is stressful, but it is a stress that I adored. Now, I hop from one Zoom call to the next and I feel drained.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating from Hood in May, Winpigler will be starting online graduate school at American University to earn her master\u2019s in international relations. Winpigler said that her dream graduate school prior to the pandemic was the German and European studies program at Georgetown University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Winpigler said that when she was accepted into the program at Georgetown she was \u201cthrilled\u201d until the school told her that they wouldn\u2019t be able to offer her any financial aid. \u201cThis was a shock to me that I was not expecting, and I was heartbroken,\u201d Winpigler said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Winpigler said she thinks that if she\u2019d been able to tour the schools in-person, she may have known more about scholarship opportunities that were available and other vital resources. \u201cWithout this interaction, I found out about many scholarships long after they were due,\u201d Winpigler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Malley\u2019s advice to students who are struggling is to try getting more sleep to allow themselves to recharge, and to try things like meditation to help cope with stress and anxiety. \u201cMeditation helps us be fully present in the moment and allows us to tap into the strengths of the mind, body and spirit,\u201d O\u2019Malley said. \u201cIt\u2019s good science, but it\u2019s also magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bowman suggests that students try to change their environment when stress starts to get too overwhelming. She recommends getting outside to take a walk or even just going to a different room. \u201cYou really stay trapped in a certain headspace if you\u2019re in the same physical place all the time,\u201d Bowman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bowman also stresses the need for students to not be too hard on themselves during this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI really like to tell students to be very forgiving of themselves for maybe not accomplishing things during COVID,\u201d Bowman said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to remember how hard this has been for everyone, and to be just okay with what they needed to do to keep themselves going. Whatever that looks like. If that means you just woke up every day and brushed your teeth and were able to go to class, that\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As this semester comes to an end, it\u2019s important to be aware of how you\u2019re feeling and to take steps to make sure you\u2019re taking care of your mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Hood looks to the fall 2021 semester, the plan is to return to \u201cnormal\u201d with majority in-person classes, hopefully leaving behind pandemic stress and returning to regular college stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students can reach Hood counseling services at 301-698-8374, or can reach out to Rev Beth O\u2019Malley, the wellness office, or the student success center for resources to help with mental health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"