By Hannah Ziegler

University of Maryland freshman journalism major Josie Jack described receiving her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on March 31 as a sign of freedom.

“[The vaccine] means I could be in a college classroom. It means I get to go to parties. It means that I get to live again,” Jack said. 

The possibility of increased freedom is a primary reason why college students are excited to get vaccinated. Many UMD students share similar sentiments to Jack about the vaccine signifying a return to normal campus life. 

“A weight is lifted off my chest. I feel so much better about seeing people without the guilt associated with it,” said Aarushi Malhotra, a sophomore public health science major who received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in early March. 

After a slow vaccine rollout in Maryland, some students were thankful that they waited to schedule their shots until the state fixed issues with their scheduling plan. Jack said that her vaccine appointment was easier to make than she expected.

“It was simple, and the rollout has gotten a lot better. Scheduling and receiving my doses so far has been smooth,” said Jack, who received her first dose from the Walgreens in College Park on April 1. Upon scheduling her appointment, she said there were dozens of openings. 

Freshman journalism major Matt Leviss had a more bumpy road to vaccination. His four-hour trip home to New Jersey to receive his doses aggravated the minor symptoms he experienced.

“The entire process takes 20 minutes, so the four-hour train back and forth was the most inconvenient part. I had a headache and some minor arm pain, but I was lucky that I didn’t have the bedridden symptoms,” Leviss said.

Many students, including Jack, did not have any severe COVID-like symptoms after receiving their vaccines. However, Malhotra was thankful that professors canceled her March 31 classes after her second dose.

“The second dose was something else. My arm was sore after, and the next morning I woke up with full-body aches, and it felt like I was hit by a truck,” Malhotra said. “Everything hurt. I tried to go back to sleep, and every position was uncomfortable. It was not a good time,’”

Malhotra said she received her vaccine through her role as a Red Cross volunteer, but didn’t think she would be able to book her doses until her friend sent her a link to a spreadsheet of open times.

“I wanted to look around after finding out I qualified, but I don’t have time to scour websites and sit there for hours,” Malhotra said. “But my friend, who got vaccinated through her job at TerpZone, sent me a link and was like ‘they just opened up these clinics, you have to check right now.’” 

Malhotra added that she feels many students qualify but don’t know it. As a tour guide for Maryland Images, she could receive a vaccine as an employee of the university, in addition to her Red Cross volunteering. 

Currently, the Maryland vaccine rollout plan is in Phase 2B. Students 16 and older with underlying conditions, those in congregate living facilities and other newly eligible groups. As of April 1, every Marylander older than 16 is eligible to pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, which they are eligible to get starting April 27.

With the new stipulations that allow people in congregate living to receive vaccinations, some students have taken advantage of their dorm statuses to schedule appointments. Freshman fire protection engineering major Adelaide Phillips scheduled her vaccine doses when the state added congregate living to the list of higher-risk environments.

Malhotra emphasized that it is more important than many think that college students receive the vaccine because of how much they are around others.

“There’s controversy about college students getting it, but they make the eligibility criteria for a reason, and it’s to include as many people as possible,” Malhotra said. “If you’re getting vaccinated, you’re protecting the community, and I think that’s everyone’s end goal,”

When the masks do come off, freshmen are looking forward to having an authentic college experience for the first time. 

“I’m taking a full in-person schedule, and I’m so happy. I feel this whole first year didn’t happen, and in the fall I feel like I’m finally starting college,” Leviss said.

Malhotra is looking forward to the little things she has missed out on over the last year.

“I want to get my eyebrows done,” she said laughing. 

She’s looking forward to other things, too.

“My friends and I will get our nails done and go to the beach. I’ll visit my cousins in California. I’ll spend time with the people I care about,” Malhotra said.

Spending time with loved ones, above all else, is what students are looking forward to most.

“I can hug my grandparents again. I can’t wait to do that.” Leviss said.

Featured image: Aarushi Malhotra smiles beneath her mask outside a vaccine clinic after receiving her second dose. Photo courtesy of Aarushi Malhotra.