“College during COVID-19*” is a new video series in which CSUN students and faculty share their fall semester virtual learning or teaching experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. In the premiere episode, film major senior Stephanie Yu talks about how her first semester online is going.

My name is Stephanie Yu, a senior at CSUN with a major in film production and a minor in photography. I am from Canton, also known as Guangzhou, a city in Southern China. This semester has been a unique experience for me so far, not only because the school is almost entirely online, but also because of the other changes we are challenged with: COVID-19, the climate and the great division of opinions within the United States.

While I don’t think the tuition I’ve paid for is used to its full potential by the school, I’m glad that I could remain in the U.S. to receive an education. I miss my family dearly and a lot of us are probably experiencing the same, but I still feel very lucky to be in a safe environment, learning and bettering myself.

*College during COVID-19 is a spinoff series of the spring/summer series “Life during COVID-19,’’ which focused on international students.