By: Jaycey Bowling

Montevallo, Ala.- Now that COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, making it possible for students to be back on campus, students have many feelings about their return. Bella Ward is a junior at the University of Montevallo. She is a Communication Studies major and is a part of Alpha Gamma Delta.

Ward feels like she missed a big part of her college experience because of the pandemic. She was a freshman the year that covid came about and was sent home before even completing a whole year of school. She said this affected her socially, academically and mentally.

Socially, she was affected by having to move away from her boyfriend shortly after beginning her relationship. They were only together three or four months, then had to spend five or six months in a long-distance relationship.

 Ward said, “We were sent home in March and we essentially had to go from seeing each other all the time to being in a long-distance relationship.” 

Joining a sorority was the first thing Ward did when she returned to campus after the pandemic

Academically, Ward felt that going online had its advantages and disadvantages. 

She said, “The pressure was off when I took tests, but overall, I function better when I can establish a personal connection with my professors.”.

Mentally, Ward had a difficult time being quarantined at home, away from her peers. She said, “I was so alone over quarantine.” 

Ward also said, “I definitely suffered a lot during quarantine but at the same time I feel like that experience molded and shaped how I interact with the world and how I see the world now.”

Now that the university is back on campus, Ward enjoys spending time with her friends and going to sorority events. She says that this semester is much better than the last few because she can freely interact with her friends while also taking the precautions to keep everyone safe. 

Ward agrees with the mask policy on campus and sees that all of the policies put into place have been important for student health. However, she did dislike the visitation rules in the fall of 2020 because it limited her social interaction. Overall, Ward feels that the COVID-19 virus is harmful to people and wants to take steps in the right direction to end the policies and protocols.  

 “I fully believe that everyone should get the vaccine as long as they are physically able to.” Ward said, “I am so glad they came out with it as quickly as they did because I want things to get back to normal.”

To learn more about the COVID-19 policies on campus, click here