Being A Student During The Corona Virus Pandemic

I take my school work seriously. Probably too seriously. But hey, not everyone does. I was so used to seeing everyone around me, sometimes even my best friends getting way below a C on any sort of test. Whether it be literature or mathematics, seeing someone else get a bad grade on anything somehow infuriated me.

Then, one day, I had gotten a bad grade on something. Now, truth be told, I am not the best at mathematics. And I know some of you out there may love mathematics. But I can't.

To me, there is just no creativity with it. And the fact that there is only one set, straight answer annoyed me. I loved it when it could be any multitude of possibilities happening. An example would be how if a team of paramedics are called out to a woman having shortness of breath, it can be any wide range of problems happening that requires any wide range of solutions to fix said problems. Whether it be something as serious as congestive heart failure, or something as simple as a panic attack, there could be more than one possibility, more then one thing going on that can be fixed. Not in math.

This one problem needs this answer, this one needs a whole other answer. I think you understand what I am saying though. I hate that subject as a whole. However, that doesn't mean that I don't care about the letter grade that I hold in that class.

Ever since I was young, maybe around the time I was in the second grade, I knew that I just never could catch on as quickly in math as the other kids around me could. For some reason, whenever the information would click in their brains, it would be delayed in mine. Or it would never click at all, and I would have to hope and pray that I guessed at the correct answer. But of course, nine times out of ten, I never got the correct answer.

This prompted the school administrators to speak with my parents and have an entirely new curriculum set up for me. Basically, one that was at a slower pace and covered each and every topic in absolute depth. So that I could understand everything in there and I wouldn't be falling behind as badly. This entire set up continued from one grade school, to my next grade school, into high school during my freshman year, then to the high school that I would graduate from. Enter, my newly formed will to become an over achiever. A teacher's pet if you will.

Math throughout high school was comparable to a bumpy roller coaster ride. There were topics that I would completely understand without question. I would ace every question, and sometimes, I'd be brave enough to raise my hand for a question or two. But then there were the topics that would just always manage to send my brain into a lock down. It would be as if the problem or topic would be a school shooter, banging on the window to get in while I am the helpless little student inside. I just would refuse to even attempt the problems for fear that I would get them wrong and in turn, earn a bad grade. So the Internet was my go-to study buddy through many of my math classes.

Because of my earning mediocre grades throughout my math classes in high school, along with my just being completely poor, none of my dream schools even bothered with my application. The only college that I was accepted into was this community college that was not even half an hour from my house. It turned out, thankfully, to be my dream college; small campus, people weren't too annoying or seemed to be threatening, and the teachers seemed to legitimately care. One of these teachers happens to be my current math teacher.

This lady gives you all the chances in the world. If you need more time for something, to turn something in and make sure that it's all correct, she will make sure you have the time. This teacher is the most generous lady in the world and one of the most helpful teachers I have ever had. It also seems as though she caught on pretty quickly that I was one of the students that just needed to ask more questions, and definitely needed to be reassured that what I was doing with each and every problem was right. And in the weeks leading up to the end of March of this year, everything was great. I was completely confident with my grades in all of my classes (even though there is only three classes, but still.)

Enter, the Corona Virus Pandemic.

We were already on spring break. My being a typical college girl, I was hanging out with my boyfriend in his room, for once I was slacking off on homework. Taking a load off, as some people would order me to do from time to time. He and I were on the verge of leaving his house to venture out on our next adventure when I had gotten the inevitable call. "Unfortunately, we have extended spring break for another week." The recording announced through my phone's speaker. My heart automatically dropped into my stomach. That was the first sign that slapped me across the face, that screamed that things were only going to get worse. And sure enough, they did.

Before they could even announce that we were allowed back to the now spotlessly clean campus, the governor of my state had ordered for all schools for all grades to remain closed for the rest of the school year. My first year of college had been cut short. Which no one truly seemed to care about. All they truly cared about was for the college and high school seniors who weren't given the chance to walk across their stages, or go to their proms with their overly expensive heels and dresses. Don't get me wrong, I feel equally as guilty as everyone else does because of the fact that the seniors don't get what they deserve. But the college freshmen classes across the states were now in this boat that had sprung a leak.

Many of us were claimed on our parents' taxes the previous year, so no stimulus check would be hitting our bank accounts. There were also many of people that I had graduated with that either live by themselves, pay their own bills, car insurance or phone payments that have no stimulus checks. Or have jobs that requested that they stay home because of the fact that many jobs had to temporarily close. Or, we have the people that are my age, that have jobs that are considered essential and end up getting sick and they have to stay home because of that. There are also the jobs that have to cut back on hours. My previous job had been one of those. However, there was another huge issue with my previous job.

Months before the quarantine, my job had been refusing to schedule me. Instead, giving the hours to high school kids who didn't need to worry about paying their own tuition. They also never bothered to complete my training, despite the fact that I had been there for half of a year. I was already considering leaving the job. But my father had given me this advice when the state was ordered to begin quarantine; once everything settles down, put in your two weeks notice. He gave me this advice because just a few weeks before non-essential businesses were ordered to shut down temporarily, I had had an interview.

Another company had offered me a full time managerial position with them. The weekly salary was ten times better than what the previous job had been paying me hourly. I would also not be required to wear a uniform, just something business casual. I would also eventually be a leader of my own team, and everyone there seemed to be so friendly, welcoming and they seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs despite the chaos enclosing its jaws around the States. And because of those chaos inducing jaws that were quickly approaching, this caused them to delay my start time.

I was meant to have my first day April 13th, 2020. It is currently May 5th. It's amazing, the fact that they continue to give me updates, following the current situation with the pandemic. But it's as if this virus has pushed the pause button on my own life, as well as others.