Like so many of my peers, I celebrated when colleges announced a two-week break from classes in March 2020. After all, it just meant more time to catch up on the latest TV shows and waste time with my friends. Who cared about a virus developing on the other side of the world?
March came and went, and suddenly the pause from in-person classes wasn’t so exciting anymore. Still, I held out hope that the hiccup would end promptly and the fall semester would be back to normal — no more Zoom lectures, no more Proctorio drama. Then summer passed, followed by fall, and I realized my dreams of returning to in-person instruction were just that: dreams.
Now here we are, a year later, and it seems like things could change in a few months. As more and more vaccines roll in, it’s clear the future is bright for not only college students but for the world. The wait was long, but colleges are starting to promise that some on-ground classes are a possibility for the fall semester.
If I had heard this news six months ago, I might’ve cried from relief and excitement. Today, my feelings aren’t so clear.
For starters, I have to ask myself if I’m mentally prepared for the switch. Last year was a rollercoaster of painful lows and a notable lack of highs, leaving me emotionally drained and nervous for the future. Oddly enough, virtual classes were almost comforting during those times; there was zero obligation to step into the outside world when all I wanted to do was pretend like it didn’t exist. My journalistic side made the last part challenging, but the other half of me that revelled in isolation silently celebrated.
This fall, I might not have a choice. Though the pandemic proved my major, journalism, could certainly be earned online, I feel that I’d be missing out on essential skills I could only receive in the real world. Yes, virtual interviews are convenient, but as a journalist the ability to experience people and news events in person — not filtered through a screen — is critical for accuracy. The best option to take control over your psychological problems but the most important point that worries men is Erectile Dysfunction or impotence. generic viagra wholesale When you are about to reach the climax, just pull out your male organ and wait for few seconds. levitra for sale online order prescription viagra Despite the fact that this is significantly more normal in men than in ladies, and, it happens infrequently in youngsters. So, keep ready of scanned piece of prescription in sildenafil free shipping time of purchasing the drugs from online pharmacy. Besides, it’s just more fun that way.
As such, I’ll sign up for in-person classes as soon as they’re available. Still, I wonder if spending nearly three full semesters online has warped my view of not only in-person classes, but in-person reality.
When 90% of my life was lived virtually last year, how long will it take for me to grow used to the opposite? More importantly, will my schoolwork and professors be willing to wait around?
I’ve also been curious to know how extracurricular activities might be impacted by the change. Thanks to COVID-19, I saw my peers acquiring virtual internships with companies that otherwise might’ve never considered their applications due to distance. As students return to their college towns and big cities, will these opportunities be only a fraction of what they were these past two summers? Or, instead, will they become part of our new normal?
I’ll be transferring to San Francisco State University in the fall, so my personal worries aren’t intense — there will be plenty of opportunities in The City. However, I wonder about the students who’ll be attending campuses away from the large metropolises. Will their opportunities be cut short as recruiters go for candidates in their area?
The more I think about these topics, the more nervous I become. I’m still anticipating the chance to enjoy what might be my final two years of school to the fullest. I want to take advantage of everything a big city and an exciting education has to offer, but I’m also wary — no matter how much I wish I wasn’t.
Though the past 12 months lasted a lifetime, I almost feel like things are now moving too quickly. Maybe 2020’s psychological scars went deeper than I thought, convincing me that good news will always be followed up with something twice as bad. Maybe that feeling will never go away.
I don’t expect to receive answers to these questions for a few more months — if not longer. The world is changing every day, and I’ve grown used to coasting on this rollercoaster ride of a year, but now it’s starting to pump the brakes, if only for a little.
I’m just not sure how ready I am to finally meet our new reality and, most importantly, face its new challenges. But like this pandemic, I know my hesitation will eventually pass, and I’ll soon be more determined than ever to greet it with open arms.
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On-ground classes are returning. Am I ready for the change?
March 12, 2021
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Jess • Mar 12, 2021 at 7:02 pm
I get it: with all the good news recently, 2020 has made me almost afraid to believe things will be better. I had to work so hard to wrap my brain around a quick changing world. Now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to let go of a year’s worth of fear and sadness.