It has been a little less than 10 weeks since the start of the spring 2021 semester, but I can say that the time has seemingly flown by. 

Maybe it is because I am doing this entire semester online (as I did during fall 2020). Maybe it is because I have more time to sleep in as my classes take place on my laptop right next to my bed, as opposed to academic buildings where I usually had to walk. 

Whatever the reason, with midterms over and the end of the semester a month away, we have all come a long way since the beginning of the pandemic in regard to our college experience. 

When I chose Shippensburg University, I chose it because of the great staff, the close location, and, of course, those spacious dorms. It has been over a year since I have physically been at campus, but I am itching to see it up close and in-person again. 

SU allowed students to remain on campus since last semester, but I chose to attend my classes completely online at home because the majority of my classes were via Zoom, anyway. It has definitely been quite the experience for me learning completely online for this entire school year. But I guess adaptation in times when it is necessary is a learning experience in and of itself.

Still, with online learning, it can be easy to slouch back in your chair and doze off because of that lack of physical human interaction. And for those on campus whose friends are learning from home, the yearning to reconnect and socialize face-to-face with those friends hopefully will come with the fall semester. 

But as we round the corner on this semester, I urge those studying on campus and at home to give it your all for these final weeks of classes. Whether you are doing science labs, participating in field projects, competing in athletics, working part-time or just simply going to classes, push yourself these next few weeks to be the best that you can be.

It is unknown what the next academic year will completely look like. Hopefully we will have a sense of normality when we move into our dorms in the fall, but it is hard to predict what that will look like exactly. 

We have all tried our hardest this semester so that, in the future, we may be able to all learn together again on campus. But until that time comes, let’s finish this semester strong. We are almost there — let’s stay with it. 

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