Finals are right around the corner, and I'd like to share a very honest perspective on how this school year has felt during the pandemic. I think for a lot of people, many of the positive, fun parts of college (like spending time with friends, clubs and sports, etc.) have been stripped away, leaving us with academics to focus on. Sometimes this makes me feel more productive, and I'm able to focus more on specific projects I'm working on. Other times, I feel like I'm just putting my head down and getting through the week ahead of me. I would guess that a lot of students are experiencing some of both right now.
This semester has not been easy, and at certain points these past few weeks, I've struggled to envision what things will be like in the near future (after classes end, vaccines continue to roll out, and the weather changes). Thankfully, some of these changes are already in motion, and have helped me change my perspective a bit during these last few weeks.
I feel incredibly lucky to have received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and will soon be fully vaccinated. Many of my friends are also partially or fully vaccinated, so it will soon be an option for us to spend time together and/or have small gatherings of vaccinated people. It helps to have this to look forward to, especially when I think about some of the things I'm excited about over the summer. At the moment I'm just planning on working and finishing up my research project, so I'll hopefully have plenty of time to do things I enjoy (like hiking, going to the beach, and maybe even camping)! My sister is also planning on coming to visit me in Portland once it's safe for her to do so, so I'm really looking forward getting to share some of my favorite parts of Portland summer with her.
The past few days have been suddenly sunny and hot, and I've even needed to break out my sunscreen! Despite the heat, things feel more manageable when the sun is out, and when I can head over to a nearby park to work on readings and other assignments. It also definitely helps my mood to see people out and about and get to socialize with my new neighbors, since it's been difficult to meet people in SE Portland since I moved here.
Finally, classes are also starting to wrap up. I've already completed some pieces of final assignments, and have started to work on others. While I can't say I'm excited for finals season to come, starting to prepare for finals is a nice reminder of how close we are to summer!