Over the last few weeks, college students all across the country began to pack up their belongings in order to begin moving to their respective college towns. While many universities have chosen to continue with remote learning for the semester, a majority of college students intend on returning to their campus.

In the short time since universities have begun to open, several have already run into problems in regards to following CDC guidelines in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. One example of this problem happened in North Carolina, after a week of classes The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was forced to close on-campus classes after 130 students tested positive for the virus. Similar cases have also been seen at universities such as Oklahoma State University and the University of North Georgia. Although the amount of cases, as well as the overall cause, varies through each university, it does not take away from the overall issue at hand which is that students are going to continue to catch this virus until they begin to take the proper precautions required.

Honestly, I wish I could say I am surprised by the number of people at universities who have contracted the virus since returning but I am not. Even before returning to my own university, I was uncertain whether safety-wise it was the best choice and I continue to ask myself that today. In the short two weeks, I have been in my college-town I have seen so many instances where I questioned the behavior of those around me. I have seen near-by house parties taking place, I have seen videos of people partying across social media, as well as a general disregard to the CDC, advised safety guidelines. Now I understand as college students we want to be able to enjoy our freedom and just have fun with our friends but now is not the time for that. These guidelines have been put in place for a reason and by disregarding them you are not only putting yourself at risk but also those around you.

Now I know you are probably thinking that it's fine because you're young and it won't affect you as much. Even if that is the case, think about those around you. You likely know someone who falls into the at-risk category whether it is your grandparents, parents or your friends who have health problems. So yes you might be fine but they might not be. Is that really something you want to risk because you had to go to that party on Friday night?