Carrying on with the examples set by 2020 and 2021, this year is looking like it will be a bit of a mess. I must admit that I don’t really hold high expectations for this year; only a few weeks in and we can see some familiar patterns in how the rest of the semester will turn out. Saying I am not thrilled is an understatement.

Not all is doom and gloom, however. After a really difficult chapter in my personal life, things seem to be looking up for the first time in a while, and I have reasons to hope that even if this year goes similarly to the last (academically, at least), I will be much better prepared to deal with it than I was before.

With that said, there are things I am looking forward to. With campus re-open, and face to face classes being the norm again, there are many more opportunities to see and work closely with friends and peers. Moreover, there are opportunities for community activities and events, which are a huge part of the university experience that has been entirely missing for the last two years.

It is, then, with cautious optimism that I find myself facing the first semester of my last year of university. If all works out, I hope these strife filled times to become a good memory with the passage of time, but until then, I’ll just keep pushing forward.