With the spring semester of 2022 approaching, like most students, I was thrilled to finally be able to step foot on campus. I looked forward to being able to make new friends and be face to face with my professors. I was ready to be an official college student; to no longer be hidden behind a computer screen in my bedroom.

However, on Jan. 12, an email from Vernon B. Harper read, “Please know that we are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Kern County and on campus. We have been meeting in various groups about how to approach the Spring semester which prioritizes everyone’s health and safety.” On that Wednesday evening at 4:52 p.m., I watched it begin again. All the hopes and plans I had made with fellow classmates to finally meet in person; all of those were gone with the push of just a single email. Although nothing was certain, I already knew what would happen. I already was expecting a follow up email.

Just two short days later, our campus decided it would be best for us to stay online for the first three weeks of the springsemester. The email on behalf of the President’s Cabinet read, “CSUB will begin the spring 2022 semester by delivering courses remotely for the first three weeks of the semester (Jan. 24 -Feb. 11).” Although it is a safe option and is smart to not start in-person instruction until it is as safe as it can be,dreams are crushed here at Cal State Bakersfield. I know many people that are in my shoes, who were just so excited to finally step foot on campus.

It still hurts to be online, whenyou are unsure if you will be getting back into the classroom again. This entire pandemic has taken us all on quite the wild ride.

Although the plan is to bring in-person learning back after Feb. 11, I cannot help but wonder if history will repeat itself once more. I remember back when this pandemic first started my senior year of high school, and we were told we were going to go on break for a week to help “flatten the curve”. I personally have not stepped on foot on a campus since.

The anxiety is alive in me, but somehow, I am hopeful. I am hoping once Feb. 11 passes, I will be able to finally be on Cal State Bakersfield’s campus. Although, I will most definitely have trouble finding where all my classes are and figuring out where I am supposed to park.

I am hoping the end of the seemingly never-ending zoom meetings is approaching us. It is hard to still feel hope within you during such uncertain times, but the hope still runs through my veins that we are finally approaching some sort of end to this two year long nightmare.

So, I’ll take the extra three weeks online. I will sit in my room attending my Zoom meetings, still in my pajamas, and wait for the day that we can finally move back towards some normalcy in our everyday lives. Because even though some may not believe we are going back on campus, I choose to stay optimistic despite it all.