Being a Student During COVID-19 by Brice Bechtel

September 2020 - Update!

In May, I wrote about my experiences as the world was changing due to COVID-19. There I noted that my internship had been moved completely online and I was gearing up for a summer that was to be spent virtually. Looking back, I think that would have been a very intimidating task for anyone. I had never worked from home for an extended amount of time before and was getting ready to spend the days in my apartment all while attempting to make the best of it.

The internship ran its very short 5-week course to great success! I never once felt alone in my role as intern. Through chat functions in Microsoft Teams as well as constantly being on conference calls, I was alone in my apartment but never felt lost at sea. This constant collaboration allowed me to understand how the normal in-person job experience would be like, which was ultimately what I was looking for all along.

Graduating with an undergraduate major in Accounting, this internship was in IT Business Consulting. So, while the concepts of Accounting were applicable, there are many IT aspects that are unfamiliar to me. Given the environment and shortened timeline, I was only able to experience a small amount of learning these new concepts.

I am happy to report that with all things considered, I have accepted a full-time offer with the firm! I found it even more impressive that though I had never met my team members in-personn, I made connections with them through the virtual setting and could really see myself working there. Now, as I wrap up my last two semesters at CSU, I can continue to work on my productivity while being a student from home. I found it’s a true skill to be able to sit in your home and not be distracted, one that I can continue to work on in the months to come. Go Vikes!

May 2020:

After returning to Ohio from my Spring Break trip in Acadia National Park in March of 2020, I was immediately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. After spending a week walking through nature and enjoying the serene beauty Maine had to offer, I was feeling recharged and relaxed. I was notified as soon as I got back that I was not longer allowed to go into work, and that all of my classes had been moved online. Because I had just spent a week off the grid and in the wilderness for break, I had no understanding of how severe this problem had become and I was feeling completely overwhelmed.

Going to school as a full-time MBA student, and working in the Dean’s Office at Cleveland State University, I have an interesting perspective as to how both the faculty and students are being impacted by the worldwide pandemic. We were advised to take our work entirely online as many around the world have done. I am now interacting with my co-workers via Microsoft Teams as opposed to just walking down the hall. This has created a disconnected feeling I am sure many others are facing as well. Yes, technology does a great job at bridging the gap between working in isolation, however, there is always going to be some sort of disengaged feeling talking to your computer instead of direct human interaction.

As a student I have seen efforts made by CSU to accommodate everyone going through difficult times. We have computer rental services as well as Wi-Fi hotspot rentals for those who are having issues connecting to their fully online classes. My professors have been extremely proactive in maintaining an attitude of "business as usual", just in a new location. I have found that in a world of chaos, this consistency has proven to be more useful than I had originally thought. Group projects have been moved to Zoom meetings, and lectures are now provided in video format. I think many students would agree that online classes are not ideal, but seeing the efforts made to make this transition as smooth as possible are appreciated.

During all of this, the most stressful aspect for me has been the uncertainty of my internship this summer at a Big Four firm. Early on, there was no guidance regarding the status of it, leaving my mind to wonder if I was going to be able to work this summer, going back and forth about if the lack of notification was a good thing, or a bad thing. Finally, the firm sent a reassuring email about job offers still being intact, and further word will be provided from our specific service lines soon about next steps in the process. After months of interviewing, having this internship be canceled would have been a real crushing experience.

I think the best advice I could give to other students in my same position would be to find something to keep your mind occupied. Finding things to do while you are in quarantine to keep the stress and anxiety at bay while you are protecting yourself, and others. Maintaining the productivity I had before all of this has been very important to me in keeping a level head. I have also found that taking time for hobbies I enjoy is also very helpful during social distancing. I personally spent a lot of time walking my dog and completing puzzles, and I encourage others to find something they love to do at home too.

#Brice-May2020