Semester 1 down, 1 more year to go
By: David Eichenberger
Tags: Graduate School, Happiness, Blessings, Covid 19, Outdoors

As COVID has continued to throw us curveballs every single, finishing my first semester of graduate school was a great weight lifted off of my shoulders. Everyone has asked how grad school is being mostly virtual and adapting to this new style of learning. I’m assuming I am not the only one who would’ve said this isn’t the grad school experience I expected or signed up for. With that being said, you can take the situation and complain about it or take the situation and make the most of it. I like to think as much of a challenge as this semester was, the situation of being online has done nothing but given me more opportunities to do what I love and be able to do things that in our former “normal” semester I would have never had the chance to do.

Hyde Park Village 48 degrees

First and foremost, I am grateful for zoom allowing me to sit in my class from anywhere. For those who know me well, I LOVE being outside. When I say this yes I am a Floridian, yes it rains all the time and yes it is hot. What I can tell you if the weather is any bit below 78 degrees, you will catch me just sitting at a park, coffee shop, or anywhere where I can just be. I really do enjoy just being outside, the sounds, the fresh air, the peace, there’s nothing like it. If I had been in person this semester majority of my time would be in classrooms with only study time to be outside. I may never have this much time to spend outside again, so I can tell you as the weather begins to cool down I will not be wasting time indoors if at all possible.

I also have had more opportunity to do more of what I love: basketball. No, just because I like being outside this is not me playing basketball. I mean watching film, watching the NBA playoffs, and the opportunity to put together a massive 482 page 123,513 word offseason report on all 30 NBA teams. Big shoutout to Prof B’s basketball squad, without meeting you guys in zoom office hours that report never exists. With college basketball season finally upon us and NBA return right around the corner, even more basketball to watch is a beautiful thing. Although meeting new friends and people has been a huge challenge with nobody on campus, I am so grateful for Professor Bukstein getting me to dig deeper within myself to make me more well rounded as I prep for the job market, and connecting me with three other amazing guys all determined to pave our way into the NBA.

Being at home more has also allowed me to get out and be more involved. From service week with my cohort, to volunteering nearly every Saturday with church in the Orlando community, I feel if I was in class every single day on campus I would make up excuses of being too tired to volunteer. Now, when I can’t be outside because Florida rain, I get cooped up in my apartment as I’m guessing all of you do as well. Getting out to help others is a blessing and being virtual is a big part of why I have been able to do it as often.

Finally, I am extremely grateful to be in the DeVos program, regardless of how this wasn’t necessarily the “experience” I signed up for. Looking at the other schools I was deciding between, the thoughts have continued to creep in my head about “Did I make the right decision to come here?” When the list for top Sport Business Journal’s top Sport Management Programs in the U.S. came out I was angry. Mad. Frustrated. UCF was #24. The other four schools I was accepted to? #2, #4, #5, and #6. When I saw the list I immediately had to stop what I was doing and went into my room and locked the door because I was so frustrated. Why was I here? I could’ve gone to what experts ~claim~ are better schools yet I choose to come here. Why? That’s all I kept asking. Then, because I have the greatest friends in the world, (Josh, Emily, and Hannah I love you guys always but especially for this) they reminded me of what I have known from the start but couldn’t see in that moment. God placed me here. When I made the decision it’s because I saw where God wanted me. I felt him. I heard him. He wanted me here for a reason. Do I know that reason fully? Absolutely not. Hopefully one day I will. But what I can say is he’s opened doors no other school could’ve presented. He’s allowed me to spend time with friends, to get to make new friends, even go visit some of these new friends all the way out in Arizona (shout out Shaquin, Bali with the boys is coming soon.) To be there with family, to honestly and wholeheartedly have fun.

WEAR. YOUR. MASK

So, as I began this post with I’ll conclude it on a similar note. COVID is not over. Please, continue to do your part and wear your mask and be responsible. All you can control is the actions of yourself, so do YOUR part and pray for the rest of the country as a whole so that we can move toward our “new normal.” COVID could continue to throw more curveballs this way, but as for me I’m going to take each day and opportunity and make something positive of it regardless of if it is what I expected/wanted or not. First semester down, three more to go. What will God do next in this crazy world we live in? Couldn’t tell ya, but that’s why I have Crazy Faith and trust in him alone because I know our Heavenly Father is the only thing that never changes.

“For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” James 1:3