Claire Neiberg
I wrote my last blog post on March 12th (14 days ago), and already, so much has changed in regard to COVID-19.
While I pointed out that we would probably not return to Duquesne to finish out the semester, in my heart, I was hopeful. However, when I received the inevitable news that the remainder of the semester was moved online, I knew that there was only one thing I could do: Move forward with my schoolwork to the best of my abilities.
But I’m not going to lie—this has been no easy task. It has been very hard to focus at home. I’m diagnosed with ADHD, so focusing on work is difficult for me regardless. I thrive much better in a classroom setting where I can participate in discussions, but overall, I am adjusting better than I thought I would.
I also feel incredibly guilty about complaining about quarantine at all because compared to many people in the world, I have it good. I am at home in my cozy house with my loving family and two beautiful dogs. Most nights, I get the recommended amount of sleep and being able to cook for myself has been great. I am still getting an education, and I have been able to get back into old hobbies such as running and calligraphy. Above all, this abundance of free time is a gift for my LSAT score (hopefully!).
As for my internship, in the time between blog posts, I completed my midterm report for the professional writing component of this course, and I was able to lay out my plans for the rest of the semester. I also met with Meredith over FaceTime, and we decided to put out a new contest, which I am super excited to receive submissions for. I also made another graphic to announce our transition to going fully online.
Overall, quarantine has not been easy transition, but it hasn’t been terrible. I want to end this post by saying I am incredibly grateful for the measures Duquesne has taken to protect its students. It is a scary world we are living in right now, as the number of Corona cases skyrocket, but still being able to sit down, and enjoy the little aspects of my college life (such as blog writing) restores a sense of normalcy in these troubling times.
Building Bridges 