It's that time of the year again, where CUNY students will once again embark on a new semester of ups, downs, and everything in between. I don't want to get ahead of myself about what I believe will come out of it, but what I do know for certain is that the circumstances in which we are about to enter for this new learning period will be just as unconventional as the last. It is in that mindset that I ultimately came up with a short list of things that I hope will come out of this spring semester.

NOTE: I can only truly account for what this experience has been for myself, so I cannot say that the following list of things that I hope will happen account for the whole of my peers at Hunter and more broadly at CUNY, but I will try my best to do so regardless.

1-Resilience despite the odds

There isn't any sugarcoating it; more likely than not, there will be moments of when it will not be easy to get through each day just like last semester. But from the moment that you give up, you will get caught in a constant cycle of having to make a choice between getting the work done and getting rest, something that is equally as impossible as it is extremely difficult to pull yourself out of. In those moments, I implore you to keep going, and strive forward even if it is so tempting at times to give in. And for what it's worth, even if I may not know you, I still do believe in your ability to remain resilient despite this.

2-Self Care

Another way you can fall into the trap of choosing between sleep and work is if you refuse to listen to yourself. There will be moments of when your body wants you to step away from the screen for even a few minutes so you aren't constantly taxing yourself for every last bit of energy. As important as your work may be, you can't say that you're going to be productive if every second you can't help but feel like you're going to collapse from exhaustion. Don't forget that you deserve to be cared for too, and don't be afraid to allow your mind to have some of that energy.

3-Every second, minute, hour and beyond

Please don't keep your foot on the gas pedal 24/7. You can't make it to finish line if you're going to exhaust yourself before you can even get to the halfway mark, and you will only end up being more worried if you keep on thinking about what will happen in the long term. Take it one day at a time, and settle the challenges that are before you prior to concerning yourself with the challenges that will come after. It will only benefit you in the end.

4-Navigating this pandemic

We have a long road ahead of us before we can even think about the possibility of this pandemic coming to an end, and we cannot afford to be complacent in this critical time. Please don't forget the guidelines given to us. Get tested as much as possible, and do everything you can to help contribute to the effort to prevent any further spread of this virus. If we can all do this, the timeline for an end to this pandemic can be realized more quickly. That having been said, please stay safe.