College applications are always a stressful part of the year, especially among the pandemic. Mridula Srivathasan is a senior involved in various classes, and is now being thrown into the college application process. Though Srivathasan is offering her unique take on the crisis, she is only one among many other senior students who now have to deal with the ongoing pandemic, as well as its effects on their education, school life, and education.

Srivathasan describes her experiences during this tough season, how they have affected her with college apps, how COVID has impacted her, and how she has ultimately overcome those challenges. She emphasizes that “Covid has been a tough time for us all, but it’s about how we face the crisis, rather than how we complain about it.”

One of the main points Srivathasan explains is that overall, “college apps feel relatively normal when compared to previous years, but there is added confusion/stress with changing requirements.” With these changing requirements, present-day seniors have to learn to adapt and change their approach towards the process. In some cases, students may find themselves in easier positions than they would have otherwise, with relatively smoother college transition processes, but for others, the more complicated process can only mean trouble.

Srivathasan furthers that “Covid has halted different programs and opportunities I planned on participating in, and therefore limited some aspects of my application.” This is especially true for indoor sports, robotics, and other activities, where in-person interaction may be crucial. Because of this, students will have to pick and choose activities. The silver lining, however, makes it so that students increase the amount of research they do into specific activities, broadening their experiences. Though this may seem like a bad thing, many students have enjoyed finding newer, less risky activities to partake in.

Srivathasan then explains that the worst part of Covid isn’t the application process, virtual schooling, or other outside factors, but simply the profound effect it’s had on her motivation and organization. Most students have merely carried on with their routines, but have started to lose those pedals that keep their wheels turning. Because of this, it can often feel exhausting to work hard, especially when the rewards aren’t as great compared to before.

With this in mind, Srivathasan offers advice on how she has managed to cope, and adapt. “I try to cope with the negative impacts by creating a routine, planning my tasks, allowing for more breaks, and lowering expectations slightly.” This is something that most seniors should follow, to try not to get stressed and stay on board with their daily routines. As long as you keep yourself level headed, it’s not hard to manage yourself during such a crisis.

Srivathsan offers one last piece of advice. “Covid has had an immense impact on all of us, and expecting us to perform to our usual levels is just impractical”, wise words to follow as we all try and adapt to COVID.