We’re still here: Kitara Harsh ’20

The COVID-19 pandemic has put some future plans on hold for Ripon College senior Kitara Harsh of Montello, Wisconsin. She says, “I will be entering the workforce or interning, but my job offer and potential internship have been put on an indefinite hold due to COVID-19.”

She is majoring in psychology major with minors in criminal justice and women’s and gender studies. “Time management has been a big college takeaway for me,” she says. “I was a very big procrastinator in high school, but that really changed during my second year of college and so on. I’ve learned it’s better to start a project/paper ahead of the due date rather than a day or two before.”

She currently is finishing the semester off campus. “I think I had an easier time adjusting to being off campus 24/7 because I am a commuter, but it’s incredibly hard for me to focus on my classes from home during the Zoom meetings,” she says. “I found that it is harder to retain the material being taught when there isn’t a difference between your learning environment and your home environment. I have pretty bad asthma, so I’m out of work right now, too, so it’s just a very weird time in general. I spend a lot of time FaceTiming my friends, since we can’t hang out, obviously. I think that is helping me cope by not feeling so alone. I’m also taking my dog on plenty of walks — which I might enjoy more than he does!”