Living in Florida this past month has been so hectic. If you live in Florida or know someone who does, you were definitely aware of Hurricane Irma. Irma was a big storm that brought a lot of fear among families and residents of Florida. I was worried about Irma, for one reason: because I am a student. Since being back at school, there is some stuff that I have noticed is different.
1. Our semester was extended
Attending a school in southwest Florida has it's ups and downs. It is such a pretty campus, and it is a great place to be (most of the time). Due to the extent of the hurricane the school made the decision to change the length of our semester to make up for lost time. We were out of school for two weeks, so they extended our semester until December 23rd, which is right before Christmas. Naturally, a lot of students are upset about that. There are a lot of people who already have made travel plans for the holiday, or just don't want to be at school for that long in general. It is a bummer for sure, but there is really no way to change that.
2. People have been kinder
After a natural disaster such as Irma, I have noticed a lot of people have better attitudes towards others. When disaster strikes we have to stick together to make things better, and help people around our own community. I know that Key West got hit pretty hard, and a lot of places around where I live have been fundraising and donating items to help the people out there regain what they have lost. It is unfortunate to see people losing their homes, but it's refreshing to see other people around the community pitch in and help.
3. Professors are more flexible
So let's face it, being hit by the hurricane sucked, but I have noticed my professors are very flexible, lately, with due dates, and just getting back into the swing of school. Just like the students, professors are dealing with hardship from the storm so I have began to see the caring, and flexible side of my professors that sometimes is hard to see. In order to get back to normal everyone has to be flexible and willing to make up for the lost time.
4. Grocery Stores are bare
This is only a temporary change, but it is still a major one. Hopefully, it will not last long, but I have noticed a lot of grocery stores are still out of food and essentials. People are angry at grocery stores because it is like a competition to get food before it completely disappears off the shelf. Just yesterday I was at Publix, and I wanted to get some yogurt, but this lady who was beside me came and cleared all the yogurt that I wanted before I could get to it. I did not say anything and I just put the remaining four yogurts in my cart and moved on. It is just crazy how I have seen people act in stores. It is like the world is just running out of food. I hope things get restocked soon.
Life has changed in ways since the hurricane, but it is nothing that we can't get through.