I had always been very excited to go to college. Since I can remember I would always watch youtube videos about college so when it was my time to go I was over the moon. I started getting ready to go to college about 2 months in advance because I just could not wait any longer. I was so excited to finally have freedom and be on my own without having anyone to check up on me. Once I got to Oneonta I knew I was going to have the best time. Within the first day I had already met so many amazing people and I was super excited to hang out with them more. We all clicked really fast and it felt like we had all known each other for forever. Everything was going good up until the cases started to rise. At first I wasn’t nervous because this was inevitable, and all of the cases seemed to be from people off campus. Then the number kept on rising and rising and soon enough one of my friends had gotten the virus and decided to go home. After that more and more of my friends decided to go home. I was upset but I knew they had to and I thought that they would be back after they were better.
Then we got shut down by the government. I just remember how shocked everyone was and how fast this was all unfolding, but we tried to make the best of it. After a few days of this we found out we were going to be tested. I was happy that this was happening since it didn’t happen before we got onto campus. Going into the testing center I was upset to say the least. To see everyone crowded in that one hall with no social distancing markers just made me angry and ultimately people could have gotten sick from just standing in that building. Soon enough it was over and I was on our way back to my dorm with the impression I would receive my results in a matter or 2-3 days. That unfortunately did not happen and I ended up getting my results back in 5 days. Luckily I was negative and so was my roommate so we weren’t as worried any more.
After about 10 minutes of receiving my results I got the email that said we were being sent home. I could not believe my eyes and after everything that we have gone through it was over just like that. It felt like the day I found out my high school would be closed for the rest of the year and every emotion I felt then came back now. My roommate and I tried to make the best out of it the final nights we were at Oneonta. We ordered Tinos, hung out with our friends in our dorm, and had a movie night. And just like that it was time to go home. It really does suck being home but my friends and I have already set multiple dates so we can go see each other. I hope we will be back in the spring so we can finish what we have started.