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A year of resilience
The past year has been anything but easy for all of us. Hardships and frustrations have collectively created a lingering weariness on our entire community.
As UNC-Chapel Hill hits the one-year mark of the beginning of remote learning this week, we recognize and celebrate the resilience and strength of our students and our employees during one of the most difficult years in our University's history.
Thank you for your hard work, dedication and commitment.
Student reflections
Like the rest of the world, Carolina's typically bustling campus came to a sudden halt last spring. At a moment's notice, everything changed as students moved out of the residence halls and the University transitioned to remote learning.
That pivot to remote learning hasn't been the only challenge students have faced throughout the pandemic. They've also coped with the stresses of the ongoing public health crisis and being separated from friends, family and the campus they call home.
Whether they were seniors in high school when the pandemic began or Tar Heels preparing for their final year in Chapel Hill, the past 12 months have reshaped the Carolina experience for thousands of students.
A year later, our students are reflecting on their experiences — the hardships and the triumphs — and shared lessons they've learned that they'll carry with them moving forward.
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"Reflecting on 2020 has truly humbled me to better appreciate who and what I have rather than focus on what I don’t. While 2021 is still full of uncertainty, I am positive that the stress of last year will push us all to be the best we can be and never take anything given in life for granted."
"In reflecting on the past year, I am all the more grateful for the video calls with friends, the active texting chats and the Zoom meetings in which my professors and mentors embraced empathy and understanding. The power of these little moments has been especially felt over the past 13 months."
Sticking with it
Coping with a pandemic
Although the Carolina community has spent much of the pandemic apart, students, faculty and staff found unique and innovative ways to stay connected, cope and pass the time of solitude.
Learn more about the hobbies, programs and support systems Tar Heels turned to this past year.
Pandemic Hobbyists
One side effect of the pandemic is that some people were able to invest more time in their current hobbies, taking up new pursuits and learning new skills.
A creative outlet
Over the past year, as they navigated isolation and stress, these Tar Heels turned to something they can control and lose themselves in: art.
The surprising benefits of caring for plants
Whether it's adding new succulents to their living spaces or cultivating gardens outside, many Tar Heels have turned to plants for their emotional, physical, cognitive and even spiritual benefits during the pandemic.
Virtual brushstrokes for mental health
UNC Campus Recreation began offering Virtual Paint Night, a biweekly recreational painting class, this semester. While Campus Rec’s programming typically focuses on physical health — from group exercise classes to guided hikes — Virtual Paint Night offers students a new way to connect while also addressing mental health through art.
Support resources
Mind above matter
Carolina junior Megan Schneider co-founded Mind Above Matter, which curates all of Carolina’s mental health resources in one, easily accessible digital format, to ensure all Tar Heels have access to the support they need when they need it most.
Healthy Heels
Healthy Heels is a collaboration between Campus Health, Student Wellness, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Campus Recreation that is working to create a healthier campus.
Learn more about resources available to students and ongoing wellness events on campus.
Student Wellness
Student Wellness works to enhance the individual and collective health of our campus through a wide range of programs, services and resources.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Carolina's Counseling and Psychological Services is strongly committed to addressing the mental health needs of the student body through timely access to consultation and connection to clinically appropriate services.