Of course, the pandemic made sure there's nothing “normal” or “routine” about this academic year, with some classes being in-person or mixed-mode and some remote; the need to wear masks and observe social distancing; and the restrictions on gatherings.

Talking to PennState News, some of their freshmen shared how they are navigating college during these challenging times, and ways they are finding to have fun.

"It was my dream to come to Penn State after hearing all my dad's stories about his time as a student," Angie Busch said. "It's obviously hard for everyone to adjust, but I make sure to do my part because I don't want to leave the happiest place on Earth."

"With all the protocols in place, I have been able to explore a lot of campus with my roommate. We have found a good group of friends to hang out with in a socially distant manner. We aren't going to let this virus ruin our time here."

Tommy Doughty, who has one class in person per week, said things are a little different but he's "been able to adapt and so far at Penn State I have been having a great time."

"Since this is my first college experience, it's weird. However, we have to make the most of it, and I am only here for four years so I have been trying to maximize the number of people I meet. I have learned over the years that positivity is key and that even though our classes aren’t in person, there is still tons of fun to be had at Penn State," Doughty explained.

Suspension of face-to-face teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to concerns about consequences for students' learning. While data on this subject remains limited, one 2021 study evaluated the effect of school closures on primary school performance in The Netherlands. 

"Our results reveal a learning loss of about 3 percentile points or ... the equivalent to one-fifth of a school year, the same period that schools remained closed," the researchers wrote. "Losses are up to 60% larger among students from less-educated homes, confirming worries about the uneven toll of the pandemic on children and families."

"The findings imply that students made little or no progress while learning from home and suggest losses even larger in countries with weaker infrastructure or longer school closures."

Well, at least we have memes to ease the situation while things slowly return to normal.