Editor’s note: “The new normal” is a continuing series that looks into how members of the Los Medanos College community are coping with a shelter-in-place order amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Although the Contra Costa Community College District originally intended to move lecture classes online while maintaining resources on campus, seven different counties in California have been instructed to shelter in place until April 7. 

This shelter-in-place order affects the district, and in turn, students and staff at Los Medanos College have lost access to all on-campus resources until further notice. 

As students and staff adjust to life online for the next few weeks, the response to this shift has varied across the board.

First-year student and football player Guy Wallace has become quite comfortable with his “new normal” so far.

“Adjusting from face-to-face to online classes at such a fast pace was unexpected but I’ve learned to handle this adversity really fast and got adjusted to it real quick,” said Wallace. “I like how I can go at my own pace a little bit more just to make sure to turn in stuff before the due date and time.”

Prior to the switch online Wallace had been attending four lecture classes in person each week and training for football at practices on his own time. Due to the county-wide shelter-in-place, football practice has been canceled until it’s safe to train as a team again.

Wallace, who also works at the gym In-Shape, which is currently closed due to the order, continues to train as much as possible from the confines of his home.

“I have some weights and stuff at home. Even though we aren’t allowed out, I still go on runs at the Liberty [high school] football field too,” said Wallace.

As challenging as the online transition has been for the district, Wallace has found that he has more leisure time to enjoy his hobbies outside of school and playing football.

“Since moving online, it seems like I have more free time to do stuff because my teachers are like, do these assignments and turn them in by the due date. The way I spend my free time is by playing Madden or Apex Legends with my friends on PlayStation, or I’m working out or watching Netflix,” said Wallace.

As the district continues to update students and staff about the presence of the COVID-19 virus in the county and health precautions that should be taken, members of the LMC community learn to adjust to their own “new normal.”