Transitioning into college can be a challenge or a breeze for some. However, with a global pandemic still on the radar, there are new challenges for incoming first-year students. 

How might the new students adjust to life on campus? 

“Any change is hard, especially moving into college,” said first-year student and neuroscience major, Elie Kramer.

With the pandemic going on, it has made the adjustment a little harder, she explained. However, Kramer was able to ease her mind when she was able to bring her fish, Aïoli, as a third roommate. 

Originally from Schuylkill Haven, Pa., Kramer said that at her high school, classes would be moved online frequently because of COVID-19 outbreaks. That left Kramer feeling confined and very unhappy. 

She credits macaroni and cheese to helping her through the tough times. Now, Kramer has found herself at many events in just the past few weeks, including  Welcome Weekend’s Drag Bingo.

“It was one of the greatest nights of my life,” said Kramer. 

Despite having to be restricted to her own house at times when an outbreak occurred in her school, Kramer found a sense of community as she participated in the Welcome Weekend. 

“I chose Wilkes for the close knit community and the opportunities it holds,” said Kramer. 

Kramer said Wilkes has a great health sciences program and as she continues to adjust here on campus, she hopes to grow a sense of independence. She is also eager to explore more of what Wilkes has to offer.

On the other hand, leaving for college was easier for some. 

“It was not that difficult,” said first-year student and nursing major Bridget Rosenfeld. 

In New York, Rosenfeld was not always able to travel outside of the state due to their  restrictions. Therefore, finally leaving was a nice change for Rosenfeld.

When talking about her high school experiences with COVID-19, she was more fortunate than Kramer. When anyone tested positive at her school, officials made sure to do contact tracing and took precautions. 

She was still able to enjoy her senior year, including being able to go to prom, football games and participate in field hockey. 

“I was very glad to be able to have my senior field hockey season,” said Rosenfeld. “I have always looked forward to going to prom so I was very happy to hear we could have one this year.”

In the two weeks she has been on campus, Rosenfeld has been adjusting to college life by hanging out with the field hockey team. She also attended Drag Bingo.

Not everything has been so easy for Rosenfeld. She has been faced with juggling a busy schedule, playing field hockey and being a nursing student. 

“Wilkes has an amazing nursing program that I am looking forward to starting,” said Rosenfeld.

Sydney Farmer, a first-year student and biology major with a double minor in Spanish and biochemistry, also had to make some major adjustments to life on campus. 

“Because of the pandemic and tennis I am restricted on the times I’m allowed to go home,” Farmer said.

This is not the first time Farmer felt restricted when it came to doing things. Her high school brought a sense of unity when it came to athletics. However, due to the pandemic and the restrictions set in New Jersey, the football players were only offered two tickets. These two tickets were mainly reserved for the players’ parents, leaving Farmer upset to miss out on their games. 

“Football is a really big sport in my school and brought together the school as a whole,” said Farmer. “It was definitely sad to not see a game my senior year.”

Now on campus, she is very excited to continue her education and sports at Wilkes. On top of being a full time student athlete, Farmer plans to pursue a pre-med concentration and wants to do a 4+1 in the bioengineering masters program. 

She has found herself trying not to procrastinate and finishing what she needed to do to be able to participate in campus events. Farmer has discovered lots of fun things to do in her first two weeks on campus. 

Recently, she attended Club Day and participated in Welcome Weekend as much as she could due to tennis conflicts. Farmer is very excited to get to know the university more and has tons of goals set for herself. 

She is especially looking forward to continuing her education in a research based college.

“There are so many opportunities and I cannot wait to see what the future will hold,” Farmer said. “I hold myself to high standards, as my biggest goal at Wilkes is to maintain a 3.75 GPA and I will be accountable and stay on top of my work to achieve this goal.”