Honors Students Looking Toward the Future

We asked Honors students what they think the world will look like in a year. Here’s what they said:

“Within the sphere of the University of Florida, I really hope that within a year all of the construction on campus will be largely done. I feel bad for all of the freshmen who don’t really know what UF looks like because there have been so many closures on Museum Road. I hope that within a year, the new Honors dorm will be open, in addition to all of the new academic buildings like Malachowsky Hall. I also hope that COVID-19 continues to be more controlled and that there won’t be another variant. It would be great to see more people get vaccinated and boosted. In terms of social justice, I hope to see more justice served in the fight for racial equality. In terms of the environment, I anticipate that UF will place more emphasis on sustainable practices and preserving the environment for future generations. It’ll be my final semester within the next year, so on a personal level I hope to have my post-graduation plans sorted out by then as well.”

“Honestly, I have no idea what the world will look like a year from now. However, I do hope the pandemic will have entirely cleared up by then. With the end of the pandemic, I’m hoping for the beginning of new opportunities. A lot of small businesses and companies had to close down during the past two years, so it’d be nice to see a number of them start up again. I imagine that we’ll see more people traveling to make up for lost time!”

“I think masks are still going to be around, although people may be wearing them voluntarily rather than because they are being forced to. I also think that the stock market is going to continue to crash. As far as UF goes, I think we will become a Top 4 Public University. Two or more apartment buildings will probably start construction around Gainesville. Additionally, I don’t think there will be any more Zoom classes or Hyflex options.”

Story by Daniella Conde Design by Emily Miller

“It’s hard to say where we will be in one year because there’s constantly so much change. In terms of COVID-19, I hope that there are more scientific discoveries to back the decisions being made. We’re going into year three of the pandemic, and we should really just be doing what’s best for each other and ourselves. I hope that there’s more understanding and kindness overall.”