At home in Canada, writer Anthony Occhiuto, a student-athlete at Detroit Mercy, is spending more time with his cat Vader.
BY ANTHONY OCCHIUTO / VN STAFF WRITER
The coronavirus has affected us all no matter where we are from.
I attend Detroit Mercy but am from Canada, near Toronto.
Like most of you, I’m back home now.
Usually the streets are packed full of people and cars, but not anymore.
With the news that our classes were moving online and then the news that my entire NCAA golf season was being cancelled, it really started to hit me.
I am at home surrounded by my family.
Everyone is self-isolating in Canada.
The borders are closed and there is no way for me to get back to school until something dramatically changes.
We all view this ordeal partly from the perspective of our own lives.
Mine revolves around golf.
It is a shame how the golf season ended.
Our team was trending in the right direction and we were really getting in a good groove.
We all understand that it had to be cancelled but at the same time it is so sad because of how much time and hard work we put in.
The switch to online learning is going to be different.
Because I have taken online courses in the past, I don’t think it will be too difficult but I can’t imagine the stress and anxiety some students are feeling.
This is new territory for many.
Online learning isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Students need to have time management and pay attention to when things need to be done.
The teacher isn’t there to remind you every class when something is due and isn’t there to make sure you are focusing.
After getting adjusted to online classes, I have been happily surprised with how easy of a transition it has been.
The professors at Detroit Mercy have been extremely active in making sure each and every student is comfortable with where the semester is headed.
We all need to look at the positives in each situation, even though sometimes it is hard to do so.
Most of us are spending quality time with our families, which helps during this tough time.
All of us are going to have to try our best to work together moving forward as we all have an uphill climb in front of us. We will have to stay calm and go day to day as this situation is changing rapidly.
