The semester is finally coming to an end, so first of all, congratulations! We’ve almost made it through one crazy semester and you should be proud of yourself for making it this far.
If you’re still on campus, you’re not only preparing for the end of the semester, you’re also preparing to go home for break. While you’ve probably gone home from break plenty of times before, you should keep in mind that due to COVID, there are some things that you might want to do differently this time around.
I’ve compiled a list of things that you might want to prepare in order to come home safely from this fall semester. All of these things are to help you and your loved ones stay safe during the pandemic.
Get Tested
By now, I hope that you have at least gotten tested once or twice this semester, just to stay safe, but it couldn’t hurt to do it one more time, right? Go get tested about a week before you go home, in order to get your results on time, and then isolate yourself in order to stay vigilant. Then, when you get home, test yourself again! You can never be too careful.
Keep Your Circle Small
At home, I know it can be tempting to want to hang out with high school friends, go to local restaurants, and just go outside, but it’s super important for college students to keep their circle small. If you’re going back up to school in the spring, try to keep your public outings to a minimum, and the people you see outside of your immediate family as close to zero as possible.
Return Your Textbooks
You probably forgot you rented textbooks, didn’t you? I know I did. It’s hard to believe that we’re still in school with all the crazy stuff going on in the world, so try not to forget all of the mundane stuff like turning in textbooks, or unplugging your fridge if you live in a dorm (oh no, did you forget to do that too?).
Bring Home what you Don’t Need
It sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out. This semester, I brought up way too much stuff I thought I would need knowing I would spend much more time in the dorms than I usually would. After the first few weeks though, all of that stuff became entirely irrelevant. If you can, try to bring some of that extra baggage home with you so you have a lighter load to carry at the end of the year in the spring.
Stay Focused
The semester isn’t over yet, so don’t give up yet! You’re almost there, so hang in there. Keep these tips in mind as you close up shop for the calendar year and head into 2021 very, very soon. Good luck!