Good morning and happy Wednesday! I came home from Thanksgiving break Sunday evening and immediately went into in-room restriction. The college asked all students to stay in their rooms until their first negative test came back, just like when I moved in. Thank God, the tests came back much faster this time around and I was able to see my friends in small groups by Monday night dinner. Nonetheless, virtual classes and clubs are continuing through the end of the day today. I have, surprisingly, been managing okay since my return to campus. Not that the jump from college life to home life to finals season hasn’t been hard, but I expected in-room restriction to send me into a tizzy. At the beginning of the year, being stuck alone in my dorm for over 24 hours nearly killed me–ut for whatever reason, whether it was the welcomed silence after a hectic holiday or the assurance that I would be out soon, I made it through the entire experience alright. The beginning of the year felt so uncertain. I had no idea when I would be allowed to leave and was anxious about what life would be like once I was let out. Now, I knew that I would be able to return to the comfortable routine of college life and have my people waiting for me.
Now that IRR is done though, it’s crunch time. Finals season is upon us! I only have one final exam this year and it is still two weeks out. High school Jessie would have ignored that deadline until a couple of days before and just crammed immediately before the exam. But I just know the test will sneak up on me. I am more nervous about my education final paper: a 12-15 page independent research project about a topic of our choosing. Never in my entire life have I written a paper of this magnitude. Thank God for office hours.
Looking ahead to this week, I am returning to in-person classes tomorrow along with working at the CSC. Hillel has plenty of fun Hanukkah events to keep me busy too. I probably won’t go to all of them, but am unreasonably excited about latkes on Sunday afternoon. This Saturday will be my first (and hopefully not the last) in-person scrimmage! This time, we are competing with Bryn Mawr College. The entire affair is cloaked in uncertainty though since no guests are allowed in campus buildings. I don’t know exactly where we will be hosting the scrimmage or how we will be getting there. Rumor control has it that we are deciding between a local church and the Wellesley Public Library- weird vibe either way, but I am excited!
Until next time,
Jessie