Isolation and First Year Uni

Emily Huang

Apr 1, 20203 min read

The least unexpected has occurred as a first-year university student. Leaving the halls four weeks in, driving home six hours away, and saying goodbye to my newly made friends has not been easy. For me, it was has been an ongoing mental challenge. I never really understood the concept of being homesick until two weeks into uni. I felt like I had been dumped into a completely new environment with no friends, let alone a person to talk too. But as the weeks continued, I began to grow closer with the people in my hall and managed to connect with others who had mutual feelings with leaving home. All of a sudden, Covid19 went into stage four, and within 24 hours, I had moved from the hall to my brother's apartment then to home. Everything was so fast-paced i didn't have time to comprehend what was going on. I have now been home for eight days, and online uni is an entirely new environment. I've found it challenging to distinguish the time spent studying, and the time spent with my family. How do I balance feeling homesick but also missing Auckland and newly formed relationships all at the same time? And till this day, I still don't have an answer, but I have learned to view this pandemic in a positive light and surround myself with things that make me happy. In a pandemic like this, many are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and sad; however, I feel fortunate. I am grateful that my family can all come together. Very rarely is it possible for us the six of us to all be surrounded by one another in such an extended period, and the time spent now will be cherished. Everyone in my family has a busy life. Mum and dad work six days a week; my two younger sisters (Christine & Bella) are always busy with school, production practices, sports. Brandon, my older brother, is always flying around the world for interns and job opportunities. It's the little things that have made me appreciate this time together, such as 28 March 2020, where we celebrated Brandon's 20th birthday. The last time we were all together for this occasion was in 2016, which made it that much more special. It's not every day where we can spend quality time with our loved ones and enjoy family cooked meals. I also understand that not everyone can be with their families during this period. If so, make sure to keep your loved ones in close contact, and to help you pass the time, I have put together a list of all things happy when you're feeling a bit lonely or anxious. Just remember that everyone is struggling to a certain extent, and it's completely valid to feel the way you do.

Stay safe whanau <3

The self isolation list of all things happy

Books:

- F**k No! How to stop saying yes, when you can't, shouldn't, or just don't want to - Sarah Knight

- The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris

- A Girls Guide to Kicking Goals : from the co founders of Keep-It Cleaner - Stephanie Claire Smith, Laura Henshaw

Fitness:

- KIC podcast

-The Fitness and Lifestyle podcast by Danny Kennedy

- Workout videos on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whitneyysimmons/, https://www.instagram.com/nattbfit/, https://www.instagram.com/gainsbybrains/, https://www.instagram.com/savwright_/

- HIIT workouts on youtube to get that heart rate pumping!

- Yoga practices - https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene