Graduating During A Pandemic
Start writing a post
Student Life

If You Have A 2020 College Senior In Your Life, Hug Them A Little Tighter

Class of 2020, we're in this together

33465
If You Have A 2020 College Senior In Your Life, Hug Them A Little Tighter
Emanuele Cremaschi / Getty Images

This article is not written to minimize the trauma that people who have been impacted by coronavirus are going through. I do not take my health for granted and I hope that everyone stays safe and healthy.

Senior year of college.

A last hoorah before being jostled into the ever so scary… don't say it… real world.

A time to celebrate all the late nights in the library when you couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, the organizations that brought you unimaginable experiences, and the yearlong sleepover with the people you will miss most. A time to reflect on accomplishments, mistakes- yes many, and personal growth. A time to experience our much anticipated college "lasts." Begging the question, what do you do when it's cut short?

About 5 million college students are expected to graduate with the class of 2020, yet it still feels unfair.

We signed up for four years of college. Not three and a half, but four. We expected a traditional graduation ceremony with a cap and gown and the exhilarating feeling of getting handed a diploma. A moment in our lives that we want to tell our future children about. Above all, we're not ready to say goodbye. We yearn to be rushing out the door to class, spending hours talking to our roommates, and getting ready to frequent the small, crowded college bar we've grown to love. There's only one way to say it, we feel robbed.

After this is over, our normalcy won't be restored as we know it.

We won't be able to get back these months of lost memories. We won't be able to sit in an undergrad college classroom or experience another college formal. However, the class of 2020 will be left with a greater sense of appreciation for the memories we did have the chance to make. We won't take for granted moments of pure bliss and happiness. We will have a better understanding of the uncertainty guaranteed in this life. And we may just live in a more loving, compassionate, and empathetic world.

So now what? Well, we are left with amazing people, amazing memories, a higher education, and the world at our fingertips.

We may have been stripped of our college "lasts," but we are left with so many college "forevers." Class of 2020, we're in this together.

Hug a college senior a little tighter.

Report this Content
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

89164
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

59680
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments