Class of 2021…I’ve got some (good? bad?) news. Graduation is two months away.
Graduation is a topic that provokes different feelings for everyone. It’s a time of celebration, of course, but it also marks a time of major transition. If you’re like me, you might feel like all you talk about lately is graduation. Whether it’s about the disappointment of having a virtual ceremony, the anxieties of post-grad life, etc. The topic seems almost as common as Covid conversations these days. Obviously, it’s not something we can ignore. Everything has been leading up to this day for the past four years, and this certainly isn’t how we envisioned our final semester. While there are elements of disappointment and probably some feelings of anxiety, we can’t let them overshadow what a major accomplishment this is!
Last year, during the first months of the pandemic, graduation was a huge topic. The class of 2020 basically had the rug pulled out from under them, and we were collectively saddened for their loss of a huge milestone – whether it was high school or college graduation. This year, the general consensus is that the class of 2020 is feeling a little overlooked. While the world has adjusted somewhat to life with Covid, we need to recognize that the class of 2021 is still graduating into a confusing and overwhelming situation that’s bound to provoke some level of anxiety. We had hoped for a real, in-person ceremony. We’re disappointed. And that’s okay! I’ve realized that it’s okay to worry about the future without drowning in those worries, especially when it pertains to things I have no control over. Covid has simply added an entire extra layer of anxiety to the typical post-grad existential crisis. Basically, what I’m saying is that we all need to be kind to ourselves, because this may have been our “new normal” for the past year, but it’s really anything but.
If you have plans after graduation – amazing. If you don’t – that’s also cool. Take your time, you’re doing great. Nothing is normal right now, and it’s ridiculous for us to hold ourselves to the same expectations that we held in a pre-Covid world. WE ARE GRADUATING! That’s a huge freaking deal! We might not be able to have a typical celebration, but we can all find ways to honor our hard work. So no matter what your post-grad plans (or lack thereof) are…take a deep breath. The whole world is struggling right now – you really aren’t alone. Take some time to enjoy these final couple of months and enjoy what a huge accomplishment this is!