The old saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” but I’d like to critique that. While I agree with the saying, as it’s been true more often than I’d like it to be, I’d like to add that, “Time flies by when you’re in a completely new place, surrounded by different circumstances and experiences.”

I have this running joke with my friends in which sometimes we’ll admit that we can’t recall what we were doing in the morning. While, for the most part, we’re only commenting on how busy the day has been, I’m starting to think there’s some truth in that. Each day on campus feels like a week. A week feels like a month. 

I can only attribute this to the comparison between the remote semester at home and being here on campus. At home I had a predictable routine: I’d wake up, journal, get ready for the day, log onto my class, eat lunch, do homework, have another class, eat dinner with family, go to a virtual event, write, watch a show and go to sleep. Now, the events that happen in a day would have been enough events for a week back home.

What I hadn’t considered when coming to campus is how much my daily routine would change. I look fondly at my past predictable routine. I should admit I’m a bit of a control freak. I wish I could write a daily itinerary for my day — laundry at 1:30 p.m. and meet for dinner at 6:15 p.m., etc, but that isn’t realistic. Every day is different, so it’s been impossible to follow a consistent schedule. 

I thought coming to college would make me a more productive student. While I still strive to prioritize and turn in my assignments on time, I’m finding that living real life is like a class of its own. Now that I’m on campus, I feel like I’ve started living in a new way. I’m not saying I wasn’t changing and developing as a person at home. Instead I remained in my comfort zone. Being here at Ithaca College has allowed me to step out of that comfort zone, do some exploring on my own and get to know myself in ways I couldn’t at home.

It turns out that it’s all about doing the things that once made you uncomfortable. The COVID-19 pandemic in itself has been one huge experience of being outside of my comfort zone. I find that taking things one day at a time is the best option during this time. That means trying not to worry about tomorrow or the past. Time continues to pass, but staying in the moment and enjoying what today has to offer ensures you get to enjoy it.