2020 has already been quite a year. Many disasters have happened along the way, and most importantly this COVID-19 pandemic.
No one expected this, especially at this large of a scale. As a Northern Essex student not only has my academic life been affected greatly but my personal life as well. My mother has lost her job temporarily, but as a necessary worker at Market Basket,  me and my sister still have to go to work, which worries my family greatly, especially since a family member has passed due to COVID-19.
Life as an online student has also been very difficult to maintain, and being able to focus on work without an actual classroom has been difficult. And a full house with younger siblings poses as a big distraction.
Many students seem to be facing the same problems such as Nishel Hernandez, 19, Biology major, “My mom is a nurse and we are worried that she will get sick and all of us have to be careful getting home from work. It is very difficult to stay away from your family members who still work because of the quarantine, we are all cooped in one home.”
As an essential worker Hernandez works at Bj’s and faces many difficulties when it comes to customers as well, “ Well at work a lot of people are scared to come near me and don’t want me touching their things…it’s been extremely busy where many of us have been working 12 hour shifts.”
 While some may be bored at home, many employees who are currently working during this pandemic are very stressed and worried.
Beyond the workspace as a student Ilianaa Serumaga 18, General Individualization major, also finds it difficult to stay motivated, as she rather be in a real class room setting.
However she says she felt as if it hasn’t had the biggest impact on her life. “Personally I don’t think the virus is affecting me seriously but going to work has changed. When you come in you have to be buzzed in, they take your temperature and give you masks to wear.”
Her mother is in the health field and takes social distancing very seriously to avoid getting sick because she would be in jeopardy of losing her job. Her father has now been working from home and due to her brother working in the restaurant business he is currently not employed. As far as online school is going she too has felt overwhelmed as she noticed the increase in workload and has found doing school work difficult to complete at home.