The global COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed the lives of seven billion people in the world. As a result, college students are just one of the many groups learning to adapt to this new normal. How did a virus begin with one person in Wuhan, China, affect the very own lives of ourselves and our loved ones?
In the “ASU Student Diaries” series, we will change our lenses and view the surroundings of ASU students all over the world; whether it’s a student living on campus, at home, out of state, or even outside of the U.S., all to catch a glimpse of how they are acclimating while getting their education during this pandemic.
Catch up on Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, and Part IX.
Part X
Francisco Acuna’s life changed drastically in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He went from a daily productive routine to no routine at all.
Acuna started at Arizona State University as a journalism major but decided to switch his major to fashion. He hopes to one day become a philanthropist and start-up investor.
The junior is currently living with his family back home in Tucson. Before the pandemic, he lived in the Muse apartments located in the heart of downtown Phoenix.
On the “normal” days Acuna would wake up and hear the busy street noise of downtown and get ready for his daily commute to the Tempe campus. Then attend in-person classes, go to the gym and make plans to hang out with friends.
But in today’s world, according to Acuna, “there is no routine. It’s sort of just like I’m kind of winging it every day.”
With no routine, there has been one challenge for the fashion student and that is lack of productivity. According to Acuna, not having a proper workspace at home affects everything.
“I think it’s very easy to procrastinate now because I don’t take myself seriously when I’m at home or give myself too many liberties of just waiting on things,” said Acuna.
He adds that this has also affected his education, “Education-wise I would have to say that I’ve been cut back quite a bit in like learning.”
CHECK OUT: Empty seats, rooms filled with silence: A look at downtown ASU a year into COVID-19
For Acuna, online learning is not his favorite because he misses the social interactions with people.
“I don’t get to interact with the professors, I don’t get to interact with classmates,” he said. “There’s no real sort of social aspect to it that we normally have at least as a student of fashion, and I think the social aspect is really important when it comes to a degree in fashion.”
Despite the challenges this pandemic has brought to Acuna he is excited that he has a sales job where he can “get a break from being home and some sort of interaction with people.”
It’s not easy going to school online but Acuna is hoping to go back to school. However, he wished to have been able to take the semester off because it was not worth it right now and advises students who can take the semester off to take it.
“You’re not getting your money’s worth like the whole point of undergraduate is to network and meet colleagues and meet people who are going to be in the same field as you and so in this sort of remote setting that’s not really available,” said Acuna.
For now, Acuna is staying in his home in Tucson, Arizona and patiently waiting until things go back to normal to move back to the city of Phoenix.
Contact the reporter at greynag2@asu.edu.
