“I think it’s starting to feel more ‘college-y’ again, unless you compare it to Madison, then no.” Posted on May 4, 2022August 28, 2023 by Olivia Kopesky Elliot Kite, 20, is a Marketing major at UW-Milwaukee. Kite, a Junior in college, was born and raised in Wauwatosa, Wis. Even though he says his college experience was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, he did not allow it to ruin his experience. It did, however, allow him to gain perspective and reflect on his expectations. Olivia Kopesky: Going into college, what was your expectation, and how was your freshman year because our got cut short? Elliot Kite: The beginning was a little rough because we were moving out, but thats hard for everybody, a new environment. It was really fun though. And when it got cut short, it was really sad. Q: How did you feel when classes began to go online? A: I remember this so vividly. I was at work and my manager told me they extended our spring break. I thought ‘that is crazy, this is awesome.’ But I thought there was no way in heck we wouldn’t go back. Once we got the email saying we weren’t going back I was not super sad at first. But once online started and I was with my family is when I thought ‘oh my god, this sucks.’ Q: When you came back to school [post covid], did you feel as though there was a lack of college atmosphere at UWM? A: Yes. Freshman year I remember walking to parties and the streets were full. It’s like you’d run into a million people. I think it’s starting to feel more “collegy” again, unless you compare it to Madison, then no. I think it is what you make of it too. Q: Do you think now that the mask mandate is over that the sense of isolation has gone away? A: Yes, I do. You actually get to see people. You get to see their facial expressions. It feels really nice to see people and it feels more “collegy”. Q: Moving forward do you have any expectations that you want to fulfill in college? A: I do want to study abroad. But I do feel like I’ve fulfilled my expectations. I went to parties like everyone else. You just don’t realize it until you’re out of it; you don’t know it’s so good until it is over. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)