Over the past year, many of us have made incredible memories that we would never trade for the world.

We picked up new hobbies which have turned into newfound passions. Many of us also have shed tears due to the losses we have faced during the pandemic. COVID-19 has changed our lives greatly, for better or for worse.

No matter the experiences we have gone through, we have all pondered the question of “When will this all end?”

More and more people are getting vaccinated each day, and mask mandates under certain circumstances are being lifted. This means that we are closer to normalcy than ever. The hopes we have been holding onto, regarding the conclusion of the pandemic, will soon transpire.
I know for a fact that I am ready for everything to go back to normal.

I hope that we will all be able to go back to school next year without always having to socially distance ourselves in the classrooms.

I anticipate that we will still have to wear our masks at school since more students will be attending in person. Even though many of us may be tired of wearing masks, the mandates are set in place for the reason of protecting staff, students, and all of our families; therefore, the regulations should be followed to ensure the safety of our school and to stop the spread if that is in fact the rules next fall.

As a virtual student this school year, I have faced many challenges with learning.

Being behind a screen all day to attend my classes via Zoom has made it difficult for me to motivate myself to spend four to five more hours on my computer to complete my homework. I felt that this entire school year was mentally draining, mainly because I spent most of my school days on the computer. After speaking with many of my virtual peers, I realized this was something we all experienced.

Nonetheless, I hope to be able to learn similar to the way we did during the pre-pandemic days. This will ultimately improve our mental health and allow us to share our thoughts, in-person, rather than through a screen.

Additionally, COVID-19 has interfered with many of the clubs Spring-Ford has to offer. Even though club meetings were held virtually, the collaborative, social aspect of them seemed to diminish. I hope that we will be able to continue extracurriculars as we typically would during a conventional school year. This is pertinent to further cultivate our interests and to remind us of the importance of working together.

Moreover, we have all faced an overwhelming amount of change in our lives in the past year. As we all leave the old normal behind, we have to remain resilient when adjusting to the new normal. With this school year being filled with much uncertainty, it is important to have an optimistic outlook on what next year will bring.