Let’s face it: this year is not ideal to be a senior in college. Neither was last year, and neither was the year before. Life as college students once knew it has been replaced with masks, online courses, and a lack of human connection that college was once notorious for. As difficult as it was to make social and professional connections within a pre-pandemic world, it is even more challenging to now uphold those connections in a world filled with uncertainty. So, what can we do as seniors, or any class, in this new realm of college to prepare ourselves for the unforeseen future? Here are a few things I have come to learn since the pandemic rocked my world as a sophomore in college.
It takes time to adjust to this new normal. The best advice I can give to underclassmen who feel overwhelmed by this new stage of life is to give yourself time. A successful college routine and schedule do not occur overnight, and no day will ever be perfect in all four of the years that you are here. Too many people I have met during my time in college obtain the same habit of being overly critical of themselves due to one bad test grade, one missed homework assignment, or even missing one opportunity for a night out with friends (I think I am the most guilty of this habit myself). Whether we are enduring a pandemic or not, it is normal to have a day or even a week consumed by unproductivity and laziness. You have to trust that your body will wake up motivated and energized one of these days, but this can only happen once you stop feeling guilty for setting time aside for your mental health.
With all of this being said, it is still necessary to push yourself outside of your comfort zone in a new society filled with countless uncomfortable situations. The whole point of college is to discover where you fit into the adult world and to find the kinds of people you want to surround yourself with. For college seniors, it feels as if we are behind on these discoveries because of the setbacks we’ve had in the last two years. I found myself feeling bad for myself and throwing the towel in on my college experience altogether until my professor gave me this piece of advice last week: it is never too late to start your college experience. And she’s right. It is never too late to start putting yourself out there, building your resume, and seizing opportunities that you can only take while you are in college. Life is going to keep moving and it is only you who can make the decision to shift the narrative of your experience.
Despite all of the unfortunate luck our generation has been burdened with during COVID-19, the only thing we can do now as young adults is continue to push through the challenges and eventually graduate college with confidence in ourselves as we move onto the future. Over the past year, I have heard many different generational perspectives on what the fate of our generation in the professional world will be. Many of these opinions entail worried beliefs that we will fail in our careers and let our society down, but I have actually come to believe the exact opposite: with the struggles we have endured as a generation, we have the most potential to come out on the other side as kinder, more patient, and knowledgeable individuals. So keep going, keep trying, and keep making connections in this new world that we are facing; I can guarantee that it will be worth it.