Community: Jupiter

grateful to God and life for one more opportunity

2020 a year with much to tell. where you realized that life is the most beautiful thing that God has given us where we learned to be more human where we realized that it does not matter the title, position or how high it is when the virus Attack no position, we learned that life can go away in an instant definitely a difficult year all change if we are still counting being here alive let us thank God and strength for all those who lost a family member I wish for all that 2021 be a year in victory and let’s get out of this uncertainty healing and peace for the whole world amen

A New Beginning from The Seemingly End

My mom works in the medical/health field. She goes to private residences everyday and she was over on Palm Beach and she went to see a patient. There are different protocols for people with and without corona diagnosis. She was made aware that neither the patient of her husband had tested positive for it and that they only had pneumonia. She felt fine at first and didn’t think anything of it but the next morning we got a call informing us we were to remain in quarantine for 3 weeks and get tested twice as both the patient and her husband actually have corona. My mom ended up testing positive so I had to go remain in other housing until it is cleared up. As a student I do not have very much money so it has been very hard to manage the stress of 14 credit hours including Orgo 1 and 2, the cost of groceries, and the constant absence of toiletry items. I basically had to start all over.

Quarantined (Story #686)

This virus has affected my life because I am not able to go out into public as often as before. I was not able to take courses in-person at my college. My family and I have been cooking at home instead of going out for food. My gym is closed so I haven’t been able to workout. It has been a complete change in my lifestyle.

The Impact of the Corona Virus on a College Student

The corona virus has impacted my life in the way that I have been unable to attend church regularly on Sundays nor Youth Group on Fridays and I really miss it. Also, it has been difficult in the transition to online learning last Spring semester, but it has gotten better now at the start of my Summer semester. Also, I really miss going out to play soccer with my friends and eat at restaurants, however, I am thankful for the precautions that the government has taken to keep us safe.

The New Regular

The coronavirus has extremely impacted my life. From the beginning, it changed how I, and the entire world, interact with one another in public and at home, but as things got more serious and the threat grew so did our lives. I had to move off campus, and was suddenly taking classes online, this made it so much harder to stay tuned into the lectures and participate. I lost my job temporarily for 2 months. I worked as a receptionist at my family’s salon, and with it closing my dad was also out of a job for those 2 months and it was really hard on him. By me being home, I picked up more duties around the house to help my mom who was fortunate enough to not lose her job such as helping my sister with her classwork and homework. Considering that no one in my family is a licensed teacher, some of the assignments and lessons were kind of hard to understand and teach. We started going to a lot of grocery giveaways, to assist our neighbors who were more at risk or didn’t have a car and were unable to go. I have not been able to see some of my family in months because they are at risk. Overall, this experience has affected my life is so many more ways than I could imagine.

Making the best of it

As a college student majoring in research biology and chemistry, classes are only a small part of my college career. What really separates you from others in the research world, especially in the sciences, is the hands-on experience you gather working in various laboratories and internships. Because of this, the pandemic has completely stalled my progress. I was unable to complete the hands-on research I started this semester, and I couldn’t finish the programs I had started in Student Government either. Additionally, my summer plans went upside down when the summer research internship that I was accepted to cancelled their program for the summer, putting me out of a perfect summer job (I would have gotten valuable experience, as well as reliable pay). In short, what was looking like my most productive semester to date became my least productive to date, and my summer plans have shifted to taking classes only out of a lack of options. I’m also at an impasse because all of the work I started earlier in the spring is unfinished. However, this was the stage of my college career where I was going to focus more time to my research than student government and other extra-curricular. I have too much piled up to do both, so I’ll have to cancel things. My plans for the fall are also up in the air. The original plan was that my college dorm-mates and I would look for an apartment for the upcoming school year, building up some independence and saving some money in the process. However, due to the pandemic we are unsure as to whether an apartment is a good idea, since classes could be moved to distant learning like they were this spring, and we would be stuck paying for an apartment when we could live at home. Personally, without the financial support of the internship, I had to ask my family for help In paying for an apartment during an already trying year for them. We’re waiting on news now about what strategies universities will employ in the coming fall so we can reopen the search for an apartment knowing the current risks. The good news is, the free time staying at home has helped me develop as a person instead of a scholar. The typical rigors of college coursework and extra-curricular usually distances you from developing practices like cooking, financials, and self-care that help you function better as a human being. I’ve spent some of this time developing those skills and connecting with my family.

FAU needs to do better

The impact has been one of stress and financial implications. I think that FAU could be better with assisting their students who are impacted by changing the grading policy. Essentially we were billed the same way as if we were under normal conditions, and the help they offered in allowing students to change to a pass/fail process, did not help at all for the students who plan to continue to graduate school. Also, I wish to state that if school is opening on an in person basis for the fall, I will not register. I hope that the online format will continue to be an option for the students who may be susceptible for the corona virus.

COVID-19 Loss

I have had to move from Florida to a location a 1000 miles away because of COVID-19. I lost my home and my friends with less than 1 weeks notice. I was unable to walk across the stage. I was unable to deliver the graduation speech I was voted for by my peers. I was unable to say goodbye to the advisors I’ve adored so much. I lost the last two months of my senior year. I lost my favorite job as a teaching assistant and never really got to say goodbye to the lab that I feel in love with over the years. COVID-19 took a lot from me.

FAU Honors College Student Contracts COVID-19 While Working as an EMT

I am an EMT who was infected with COVID-19, this experience has forever changed my appreciation for life and my family. Earlier in the year when news of this virus first started emerging, I kept telling myself it would not affect us, that it would only be temporary. I am a neuroscience student at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of FAU. My life was pretty normal at that point, I was attending classes, interning at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, and working my regular hours on the weekends. Then spring break came around, my boss briefed us on the seriousness of the situation and established new protocol. This was all strange to me at first. My company then got contracted by the Department of Homeland Security and CDC to perform health screenings on incoming passengers at the Miami International Airport. I volunteered to participate in the detail, as I wanted to contribute in whichever way I could. My shifts at the airport were very strenuous, they would sometimes be up to sixteen hours. We were constantly on the move, from gate to gate, screening hundreds of passengers at a time. There was no time for food or rest. Wearing full PPE made things even harder, it was not comfortable. I knew I was taking a risk being down there, but I wanted to not only serve my country, but humanity, in a time of need. School was moved online after spring break, and I continued to work.It was March 27th when I first noticed I had a cough. The next morning I woke up in full sweat, body aches, fatigue, and a headache. I called off from work and my boss sent me to get tested. I got a flu test, along with chest x-rays. The doctor informed me I was negative for the flu and had acute bronchitis. I remained in isolation for the next few days. There came a point where I could not even walk to the bathroom without experiencing extreme shortness of breath. I would lay in bed, unable to sleep, feeling like my lungs were not getting enough air. The laboratory called me to deliver my COVID-19 test results, I was positive. My first concern was my family, I had been living with them while I was working shifts at the airport. We took precautions, I did not want them to get infected. My symptoms varied for about two weeks, I eventually felt fine. However, I was not back to normal. It took about a 6 weeks for me to feel fully recovered. I only recently tested negative, I tested positive five times after being asymptomatic. As a healthcare worker, I must test negative twice before going back to work. Within that time frame, I had to catch up on school as the semester was ending. That was one of the most challenging semesters I ever had to experience. This situation has been very hard on everyone, I am one amongst many who it has impacted. My parents lost their jobs until the fall semester, since they work at a university. That is, if we do return to physical classes. I am returning to work soon, after being out for 8 weeks. While it has been a hard time to endure, it has made me appreciate life a lot more. I am very grateful for my health, I can go on runs again and feel my lungs fill up with air. My mother did contract the virus as well, but she has recovered. I am thankful that my family is well, and that we can continue to push on through this together. I know that we are very lucky, some people do not have similar outcomes. I felt hopeless at times, and at fear for mine and my family’s health. I plan on donating my plasma and pick up shifts at my company’s COVID-19 testing center when I am cleared to go back. It is important to keep doing good, that is how we will all get through this.