We can all agree on the likelihood of an uncertain future ahead of class of 2020. The pandemic has resulted in many losses and this is just one of the significant ones. It may seem irrelevant to some people but actually it’s really disappointing for those who worked hard to complete their education and had plans to undertake afterwards.
Surely, it’s an unpleasant feeling to miss out on saying goodbye to your classmates and professors. Not to mention the annoyance associated with not being able to enjoy the freedom of the very last day, which every student looks forwards to. This means no lights, parties or getaways and certainly no proms or graduation ceremonies, which wrap up the entire academic journey.
Instead, this young generation is having their patience challenged while waiting for such crisis to end in order to go on to the next phase. Rather than celebrating their success, they’ll be grinding at their phone screen as they scroll through devastating corona updates and imagining all the things that graduates would normally do, which they can’t.
These unlucky graduates have been through serious life exams not just school exams, they’ve come to know what independence and battles really are in the face of climate change and global economic turmoil. They are the ones being put under pressure with an expectation to fix, repair and discover magical ways to protect previous and upcoming generations.
Everyone is aware of their personal loss in light of the pandemic but very few understand this level of impact on 2020 graduates, and what makes it more frightening is that nothing seems to be clear about when this will be over. Coronavirus promises an uncertain future for those individuals who had dreams and goals to achieve, but now need to recalculate them to make sense with the current reality.
So here’s a word of advice, do not be one of those people who will go around questioning a graduate ‘what’s next in mind?’ Because at this point they have every right to be confused, angry and hopeless. These kids have bigger problems than simply not being able to attend a graduation ceremony and party with friends. How about being jobless for an unknown amount of time and possibly having to end up way behind if this pandemic lasts for who knows how long?