I didn’t do as much as I wanted to do in quarantine. I’ve been constantly reminding myself that waking up in the morning is enough. But still, I feel as though I’ve disappointed myself and now it’s over (well, more less). Now we have to go back to “normal life.” Except there’s no normal anymore. We have to create our own version of normal now, while navigating our young adult years. It’s a lot. But we are all in this together. We all have to do this. Sometimes that doesn’t make me feel better, so I make sure to check-in with how I’m feeling, reach out to loved ones, and be gentle with myself. 

Extreme change is terrifying, but necessary and long overdue. Leaning into that has helped me. Embracing the change is the most productive thing we can do at this time. The pandemic was a wake up call for me. My mindset has completely changed and I am ready to step into this fall semester with a new way of thinking. I am grateful to be connected to a community like Columbia during this time. I feel confident that Columbia is doing their best with the given circumstances, which is helping my anxiety. But we also have to remember that they’re learning how to deal with continuing higher education amidst a pandemic, just like all of us are. Columbia only wants to support their students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

As we start the semester, please remember to check-in with your mental health, reach out if you’re struggling, and use Columbia’s resources and community to make the best out of this semester. We’ve got this!

Until next time,

B