The announcement was expected, but not at all welcomed. Last Thursday, Assumption University officials told us that to stop the spread of COVID-19, students would have to quarantine for at least a week. That meant not leaving our dorm rooms except for essentials, like food at the dining halls. And if we stepped foot off campus, they told us, don’t bother coming back.

This is not what I had imagined for my last year at Assumption, and clearly my friends and peers shared that feeling. My phone lit up with text messages asking if I was going to stay on campus for the lock-down, or head home early. Campus officials had already decided that the campus would shut from Thanksgiving through the end of the year.

I was going to tough it out, I told them. And I had a high hopes for all that I would get done. If I couldn’t go to the library or volleyball practice or hang out with friends — and if I could stay away from Netflix and social media for a while — I thought, imagine how much homework I could get ahead of. I knew that my hardest challenge going into the quarantine would be to stay motivated for my schoolwork. As a student, I have never found my dorm rooms or on-campus apartments to be comfortable spaces for homework. I thrive on the energy of having other motivated students around me. For me, a dorm room is a place of relaxation, a place to sleep, and a place to binge watch Netflix or dive way too deep in my social media feeds.

Amazingly, with all the snow falling last Friday, the first day of the shelter-in-place felt just like a normal snow-day. And even Saturday and Sunday felt — mostly — like a normal weekend. During the day I was able to follow my schedule and keep focus by moving around in my apartment to different spots. On Saturday night, I realized how much Halloween events from previous years had meant to me. This year, the university hosted a Zoom version of Halloween bingo, but it wasn’t nearly the same. Our interactions were limited to watching the host, so it was more like a TV show than any kind of gathering.

Things really got uncomfortable for me when we went back to class on Monday. We had a test in the one class I would normally attend, so not only were we not in class, but we didn’t see each other either, and the sense of isolation that had been building all weekend flared up. Although I do have a roommate, we live on slightly different schedules, and don’t see much of each other.

Outside the dorm, many students had left over the weekend and the usually sparse, leafy campus was even quieter than before. By the time I walked to the dining commons for dinner Monday evening, it felt like I was living in a ghost town.

“This is not the Taylor (dining hall) that we’re used to,” said Sandy Pazooki, one of staff members. “It's a bustling place. It's a social life for most kids. I liked that socialization. I liked kids coming in to sit and talk … make friends. And right now,” she lamented, “look at it. It's empty. They come in, they take their meal and leave.”

Tuesday was a better day. I attended two classes on zoom, and got to see and interact with other students. And I had a workout zoom session with my volleyball teammates. So even if I didn’t get to see anyone in person, or leave my apartment, at least the day went by a little faster. Things got strange Tuesday night, as my friends and fellow students watched election results by themselves. My phone and social media were lit up with friends crying, and messages of fear about how the elections could affect them.

I live in an on-campus apartment, so it’s hard for me to tell what happening in the dorms, but according to friends, they’ve more or less emptied out.

“Since the shelter-in-place happened, it's been reduced to probably about, like, between 20 to 30 students that are living in the dorm,” said Kenny Allard, a resident assistant in a first-year dorm. That’s down from about 85 students at the beginning of the year, in a dorm that holds more than 150.

Allard said one of the things he’s dealing with most is helping students adjust to being alone, and the loneliness that comes with it, which I can certainly understand.

“I definitely think that this lockdown is affecting people with their mental health,” he said. “I don't see how it couldn't. I think it’s a lot for students to just be trapped in that room. I know a lot of the clubs and organizations on campus and offices are hosting virtual events for students,” so they at least get to see each other, Allard added.

During the week the university’s campus activities board, student government association, and office of student activities, offered a few virtual programs. That was after some clubs and activities abruptly cancelled their meetings when the quarantine first happened. But by Monday those meetings had picked back up.

My friends left on campus are hopeful this will end soon.

“I’m looking forward to being able to safely re-enter the public, and safely see friends,” Delaney O’Con said.

O’Con's roommate, Kaelin Lozier said, only half joking, “I am looking forward the most to getting my coffee.”

Francesco C. Cesareo, president of Assumption University, announced after meeting with the Worcester Department of Public Health that restrictions will be eased a bit next week. Residential students can walk around the campus and eat in the dining hall by reservation. We’re also allowed to visit friends, as long as it’s one at a time, and we wear a mask. The campus remains closed to visitors.

And if all goes well, the shelter in place order will end Monday morning, and classes will resume for all students.

Waylin Walls-Parker is an intern with GBH News.