We explored the challenges with the unplanned change of abruptly shifting to online learning that the COVID-19 pandemic mitigation had on first-year students' perceptions of learning, their connection to the university, and the general college experience. We used a cross-sectional method to gather quantitative and qualitative data using an online survey. More than 200 participating first-year college students indicated concerns with making connections, feeling challenged and unfulfilled with their educational experience, and struggling to adjust to the pandemic-mandated changes. Additionally, we found that students experienced challenges accepting ownership of their learning and navigating ambiguous situations.