After nearly 20 months of chaos and uncertainty, it’s finally almost time to return to Skyline College’s campus for in-person classes in the spring and my excitement levels can’t be higher. It’s been a long road fighting COVID ––– a battle that will still continue ––– and face-to-face learning is exactly what we need at this moment.

And I’m not lying when I say that I’m counting down the days until we go back.

When my high school canceled the first few days of classes in the second week of March 2020, my naiveness sprung into action. Only a few days, I thought. Then it’s back to trying to solve for X in Algebra class.

I could not have been more wrong.

My life has been infested with online schooling since I first started at Skyline in Fall 2020. Although Zoom has simplified some things, it’s also been detrimental to my energy levels. Hiding under a shell, otherwise known as the mute button, brings out the worst in everybody’s social life.

I have been present on Skyline’s campus as many times as I could count on my hand. That’s an impressive feat, considering the closeness and familiarity I feel towards the students, classes and personnel.

It’s been well-publicized that the lack of social interaction has been damaging to the psyche, and I’m no exception. It’ll be nice to know there’s life beyond four walls. The creativity, collaboration and conversation are just a few reasons I’m absolutely pumped up about returning to campus in January.

As I prepare to transfer to a four-year university in Fall 2022, making the most out of my in-person experience at Skyline remains my biggest focus. The atmosphere may feel awkward and I’m expecting to feel out of place for a sliver of a second but all of those feelings will be overshadowed by the presence of others.

And I have to say, I generate goosebumps just thinking about how my schedule will be full of activities again. The thought of adapting back into a routine and setting an alarm in the morning is a refreshing feeling of self-worth and accomplishment. I’m looking forward to getting out of the house, a location where way too much of my time has been wasted recently.

It’s time to return.

Skyline, here we come.