Graduating in a Pandemic
July 30, 2020
This year will go down in the history books. There is just so much that has happened from Kobe Bryant to murder hornets to George Floyd. I have heard various things like this is the worst economic recession since the 2008 recession.
The Start of Coronavirus
Mid-March was the start of everything. It is hard to think it has only been four and a half months when it feels like it has been longer. My university extended spring break by a week. Classes started online and everything was different. I was actually a bit happy that I did not have to go in person to classes and jobs because it freed up my time significantly. Before, my schedule was jammed packed with classes, homework, two jobs, and one internship. There was a lot of driving and late nights.
Zoom, Zoom, and more Zoom
Experiencing classes on Zoom was interesting, but then it got tiring. There is this term called “zoom fatigue” because you have to focus more on the conversation, make sure you do not interrupt people, and have those awkward moments of muting/unmuting yourself when trying to speak. I am so glad I am done with school because I do not want to have to choose between distance learning or in-person learning. I have heard of the hard decisions schools have had to make for the fall semester. I know my university is planning on doing in-person learning this fall semester. I talked to a friend and there are so many rules that she is afraid she is going to forget everything.
Graduation Day
Let me just say it has been a weird year for everyone in school, especially for high school seniors and college seniors. I especially felt bad for high school seniors because they did not get their proms and high school graduations. Later on, I know many high school seniors did drive-by graduation parties which will be an interesting story to tell for the next generations. I witnessed one graduation party where there were like 50 cars going down the street. Even in uncertain times, we human beings always find a way to adapt to the changes.
The university canceled spring commencement and said you can participate in the winter commencement. At this point, I have graduated and do not care much about walking the stage. Instead, they left it up to the individual departments to plan something. The Art and Design Department did an amazing job celebrating the seniors in the department! They created a Zoom call celebration on May 16, the day we were all supposed to be walking the stage. They sent us packages with a graduation cap, candy, party horn, and card signed by all the art and design professors. It was so sweet. On top of that, they created a stop motion video of what our spring commencement would have looked like but with LEGOS. Check it out here!
Open to Work
Graduating during a pandemic is not an ideal time. It is unfortunate for all recent grads as they try to start their careers. Personally, I feel stuck and not able to start my career, but I know better times are coming. For now, I am doing freelance work, job searching, and bettering myself to stand out from other candidates.
