Introduction: Student anxiety levels have increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose: The  purpose of this narrative study was to understand student experiences in the early COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Students enrolled at Kent State University were surveyed in three randomly selected cohorts in late March and early Students were asked to complete an unstructured question after completing the survey. Inductive thematic analysis with open coding procedures was used to determine themes (Elo & Kyngas, 2008). Comments from UNS were evaluated to determine any unique considerations. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness of data included peer debriefing and inquiry audit. Results: The study revealed three themes underlying students’ perceptions of COVID-19. No themes were unique to UNS. Conclusion: UNS and UGS related common themes surrounding perceptions of increased anxiety and resilience. Further research is needed to determine whether these themes were sustained and whether they negatively impacted anxiety and resilience scores. References: Elo, S., & Kyngas, H. (2008). The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62(1), 107-115. Marken, S. (2020, December 15). Half of college students say COVID-19 may impact completion. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/327851/half-college-students-say….