Should I stay (here) or should I go (home)?
“Times have changed, and times are strange.” So says Sharon Osborne’s partner on “Mama, I’m Comin’ Home.” If you’re living on campus and taking remote-only courses, we encourage you to head home after Fall Break until the start of Winter Quarter in January. Take a look at the Oct. 23 campus notice to better understand your options.

Be careful while traveling, of course, because:

Oh, the places you'll go…will also be rife with Vid.
Ol’ Teddy Geisel may not have had a pandemic in mind when he wrote of bang-ups and hang-ups, but the sentiment still rings true. If you missed them last week while memorizing the counties in Pennsylvania, take a look at these travel tips to keep you and yours safer this holiday season. If you’re planning on crossing state lines, refer to this CDPH guidance on travel to/ from CA.

This WFH life has us picking our noses in public.
We’re currently devising a switch to self-administered nasal swab COVID testing. Perhaps not what you had in mind when everyone was all about DIY back in late March, but there you have it. Nez la vie.

We’re going going, back back, to purple purple.
Earlier this week, SD County slid back into the purple tier’s DMs -- which means that on campus, Dirty Birds, Zanzibar, and Blue Pepper will shift operations to their great outdoor spaces. Wings come with a side of WiFi on DB’s fire pit-laden patio, while the southeast sector of Price Center warms up with heat lamps and power outlets at nearly every table.

Co-vi study jam.
Need a spot without bother? Reserve a quiet space in the Price Center or Biomedical Library to study in peace for two hours at a time. Until you can safely “return to Loft” in person, check out this virtual Lo-fi Study Jam.

Germs and conditions need not apply.
The CA COVID Notify Exposure Notification System uses anonymous data in your mobile device to help alert you to possible COVID-19 exposure. It’s free, private, and as safe as connecting to a pair of AirPods. Trust in science to keep you safer.

Late Update: Mandate to Vaccinate
We are not throwin’ away your shot (requirement). Be on the lookout early next week for an update to the UC-wide flu vaccination mandate for students and staff. In short, those living on or coming to campus for any reason will need to have received a flu shot. Plus, it’s good practice for an impending COVID vaccine!

You like us, you really like us!
We’re having a veritable Field day with some of these puns, and appreciate that you’re on board with our What We’ve Learned emails. Now, how about you tell us what YOU want to learn in the next WWL? Shoot a quick email over to vcsa@ucsd.edu with what you’d like to learn more about in the next edition.