Everyone had a big decision to make over spring break: stay at home for the now-familiar Zoom lessons in the afternoon, or go back to campus and learn in classrooms in the morning? There is no doubt many students had multiple factors to take into account, but for me the decision was easy.

This week I start settling into a new routine that involves waking up before 6 a.m., putting effort into my appearance, and sitting with a mask on behind a plexi-glass shield at a desk. A majority of the student population decided to stay home, and it may sound like a lot of extra work for just a little bit of time left in the school year, but I was happy to return to campus. 

The main deciding factor, despite not being a morning person at all, was that I much prefer morning classes to afternoon. Starting early allows me to be productive and make the most use of my time, which as a junior taking two college classes concurrently is very valuable to me. 

Despite junior year being reputed as the most academically challenging, mine has so far been my least stressful year in high school and the change of schedule accompanying the shift to on-campus learning has given me even more free time that I can use for my college work, hobbies, and quality time with my family (even if it isn’t always appreciated after over a year now in quarantine). 

I may not have as many classes as most students in my class, but in each and every one I’ve now been to in-person, I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing teachers and friends again after so long and distance learning being dominated by black Zoom screens was a treat for everyone.

This year has not been ideal for many people, but I’m finding that we made the most of the opportunities and resources available to us. I definitely hope we can return to some normalcy next year, but for now I’m glad I can interact with people on campus and in my classes with this new wacky schedule.