J.J. DiPietro left behind a different life when she chose to return to college as a nontraditionally aged student in 2018. She enrolled at Holyoke Community College for two years before moving to South Hadley, MA, and enrolling at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. For DiPietro, the switch to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic was a welcome change. Her two small dogs, privately-owned cleaning business and general responsibilities of being an adult in college all benefited from the extra time spent at home.