After almost four full semesters and close to two years of distance learning caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, Grossmont College students and staff with proper vaccination are back on campus and in classrooms, with many expressing a general relief and happiness being back in person.

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District officially kicked off its spring semester on Jan. 31. However, most students and staff were unable to return to campus until roughly three weeks after the semester had already started due to the rise in COVID-19 infection cases caused by the emerging Omicron variant.

One could claim an extra delay in coming back to Grossmont built up some further anticipation in students and staff alike. On arriving at the campus, the feeling of “back to school” is an undoubtedly palpable sentiment in the atmosphere. 

In the absence of on-campus learning, students went without the use of the college’s many learning facilities, such as the library, technology mall and student center. 

“Having the facilities back open is great because for me it gives me a place to go to get work done in the quiet, and if I need to look something up, I have the information right there,” said Trevor Brown, a computer science major. 

Sage Calvin, an art major, said he was also happy to see his peers again in person and on campus, looking to make new friends with like-minded interests. 

The learning facilities are not only useful for the physical resources such as reference books and computers to which they grant students access, but also for the learning services they provide. These services include tutoring opportunities students can access for help in various class subjects that range from physics and business to language classes such as German and Japanese. 

“I’m pleased with the resources the school offers,” said English Major Isabella Wright when asked about what she enjoyed about the on-campus facilities. “I found the tech mall and math tutoring services to be beneficial since you can pop in anytime without an appointment.”

Many tutors do offer walk-in help without a prior appointment for classes that cover general education prerequisites to more major-specific ones. Wright also recommended these services to anyone who might need “a little extra help” with their class assignments. 

Although the masks are still required, it seems as if smiles hide underneath many of them while the population of Grossmont College establishes itself back on campus. 

“Being back on campus is definitely nice,” Brown said. “Being able to physically talk to teachers and other students has been super helpful when it comes to getting help and forming study groups.” 

It may still take some time to completely get back into the swing of things this semester as students and staff resume life on campus, but many are happy to be moving forward now that they are back in person.