When the class of 2024 dreamed of their college experience, chances are it never included remote learning, social distancing, donning of masks and the unheard-of term “COVID-19.” All students, from kindergartners to college seniors, have had their school year upended, but for college freshmen, this hit especially hard.

The first semester of college is challenging even in normal times. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 19 million students were projected to attend colleges and universities this fall. Many of the freshmen included in this statistic have had to get used to being away from home, missing their family and lifelong friends, and trying to meet new people in a restrictive environment.

“I was always hoping that campus would be open this fall, and I was really happy when this decision was made,” said Morghan Stiles, a freshman soccer player from Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. “It’s been different because you have to be cautious in branching out to meet new people.”

College freshmen had their senior year of high school cut short and were forced to adapt to online learning in a matter of days. Flexibility and resolve became the mantra for these students. When hopes for a different learning experienced were dashed over the summer, freshmen, who had previously mastered the skill of online learning, had to adjust to an anything-but-normal college social life.

“I came into college thinking of it as a friendly environment, tons of activities to do, and easy ways to make friends. I also thought that classes would be challenging and engaging,” Sarah Rooney, a northeast Philadelphia resident, said. “COVID-19 has made it harder to experience this.”

Stiles and Rooney had a bit of an advantage over many of their peers at Neumann University. They are both soccer players and have been able to experience camaraderie on the soccer field. While the team is practicing (under COVID-19 guidelines established by the NU athletics department), these freshmen players are not having the student-athlete experience that they anticipated.

“Another experience that was completely different because of the coronavirus was soccer. We split up into pods making it hard to get to know the other people on the team,” Rooney explained. “It has been challenging to experience college when there are so many obstacles stopping us.”

Unlike Stiles and Rooney, freshman ice hockey player Dillon Manchester, a 20-year-old from Naples, Florida, found online learning to be a totally new experience. Manchester, who took a break from his education to focus on his sport, had been out of school for two years.

“All of the classes that I took were in person. I’m not the biggest fan of online classes but like with hockey you face a lot of adversity, and I have been channeling that,” Manchester said.

Many incoming freshmen experienced anxiety prior to coming to campus this fall.  And, those feelings were shared by parents who sent away their children to live with strangers during a pandemic.

“My parents are happy for me that I could come to Neumann,” said Stiles, who lives about two hours from campus. “But at the same time, they were a little nervous to be sending me.”

As these freshmen wind down their first college semester, they remain hopeful that things will return to what they envisioned as “normal” soon.

The resilience of the class of 2024 is evident in these students, who are in no way ready to throw in the towel.  “I really want us to be able to go to in-person learning and have as much as of a real season of soccer as possible,” Stiles commented.