The pandemic made an enormous impact on my life, health, and academic performance. As a new student, my plan was to live on campus starting Fall 2020, and I even applied for housing, but the pandemic changed that. Talking to close friends who once lived on campus, I realized how nerve-racking it is to be away from loved ones and not only have school responsibilities, but also daily household chores. I really appreciate that I can stay home, spend time with my family, eat healthy and delicious food, help with, but not be in charge of, laundry, grocery shopping, washing dishes, vacuuming, and paying for rent and other expenses. Lack of stress allowed me to solely focus on my studies and I was able to finish my first quarter with a 4.0 GPA. Being so close to my loved ones, having my own room and peaceful environment to do homework, not worrying about money, getting longer deadlines on assignments, and having understanding professors are the main benefits I appreciate about remote learning. Having more time for myself allowed me to read more and take long and healthful walks. Zoom still allows to connect with and form strong relationships with the professors and TAs, who have an even more flexible schedule for office hours since the calls are held virtually. I think I was able to make the most out of this situation and succeed!