While this new way of living and being a student has been strange, I’ve adjusted to it. I still see my friends at meals or when we work on homework together in study rooms. I have everything set up for me to cast my vote in this election and have educated myself on the many issues facing America.
Also, my professors are amazing. The one for my Statistical Analysis class has hilarious stories that somehow go with and help us learn the material. In my French class, the professor had a virtual dance party where we used the grammar we learned.
A particular challenge of the modular system, though, is that I don’t have a day between my classes like I do during a typical school year. I use this time outside of class to absorb and work to understand what we’ve discussed, as well as take my time on the homework so I can make sure I fully understand the concepts and practical applications.
My professors are understanding that this is a lot of material to cover in seven weeks, and that the time between classes for you to remember and understand it is valuable. They also understand that we have other obligations besides classes, so I don’t have hours upon hours of homework each night.
One of these other obligations is Circle K International, an international service organization affiliated with Kiwanis International. As one of the officers, I help plan and execute our various service projects and fellowship events. While most events are online, we did host a small in-person gathering to make ear savers for medical personnel.
Something that we, the officers, did this year that I am excited about and proud of is creating a family system where we assigned each of the five officers to two or three other members to work with. The goal is to make sure members stay involved and connected.
We wanted to make the family system fun, so it became a competition — each family is assigned a point when its members perform a certain activity, such as attending meetings, participating in service events, etc. A prize for the family with the most points will be given out at the end of the school year.
See what else Transy’s Circle K has been up to on Instagram.
Looking back on the year so far, I have learned to control what I can and to find small experiences that bring joy. It is a privilege for me to be able to say that, but I hope that everyone can find some joy and diminish the challenges they face. We will all make it through this together.
Lillien Hudson ’22 is a psychology major and work-study student in the Office of Marketing and Communications.