Life Lessons from Graduating College in a Global Pandemic

A quarantine lasting several months due to a global pandemic was far from my expectation for my senior year of college.

I expected to apply for jobs and anxiously awaiting one, hoping I’d get one I liked before graduation. I expected senior bar golf and graduating in deathly heat. I expected small parties in the organizations I was in to celebrate the seniors. I expected a formal goodbye.

But many, if not all, of the good parts of senior year were stripped away. As a socially anxious person and a bit of a homebody, I didn’t fully mind spending more time at home, but I did ache for all that I’d looked forward to for at least four years. I ached for job security and money I knew I needed as I would start to pay for more.

I understood that many, many people had it worse. They lost their jobs, they needed the money more than I did, they either were or knew someone who’d contracted COVID-19.

But I still felt hurt. I was jealous of other classes who didn’t have to experience this their senior year.

Despite all of my longing, grief, and anxiety, however, I learned several life lessons.

People will have it worse, and people will have it better.

It’s important to be grateful that your situation isn’t worse, but it’s also okay to be upset that your situation isn’t better. We all have people and circumstances to be grateful for, and we all have a unique set of challenges. Do your best with what you have and try to not compare yourself to others too much.

You’re far from alone in the obstacles you’re facing.

Are you a recent college graduate who’s unable to get a job? Yeah, so are potentially up to 50 percent of other recent graduates, even if you keep seeing job updates on LinkedIn.

Struggling with loneliness due to the quarantine? Yeah, so are more than 40 percent of other people. In a world with almost 8 billion people, it’s impossible to be alone in any of our challenges. And just because you have a problem doesn’t mean that something is wrong with you — it just means you’re human.

Graduating in a pandemic may not be the worst thing after all.

As I hear that for fall 2020, students from my college are having to go back to school early and not have final exam study days so they can end before Thanksgiving, I realize maybe I’m glad I graduated so I don’t have to deal with that. The world has so many unknowns, and that includes college students. I don’t mind missing out on all of that confusion and stress, and I feel for those students too.

There’s nothing wrong with taking this time to pursue your dreams and work for yourself, especially during a time like this, if you’re able to do so.

You’re young and getting a job is nearly impossible, especially with many people losing their jobs. But that’s not all bad — it may give you the excuse you need to follow your dreams and be happier.

Now is a great time to think about what you want with your life and how you can get a jumpstart on that. Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams right out of college. Don’t be afraid to freelance. Pitch your writing. Make jewelry. Teach a fitness class online or outdoors. Find a part-time job if you need extra money. It’s all okay!

Find what you’re grateful for and what you can look forward to doing.

Even though we couldn’t have the Senior Banquet in person for my campus ministry, we were able to have it online, and I really enjoyed it. Even though I haven’t been able to see my friends in person, I’ve been able to call and video chat with them. Even though I’m pretty much stuck at home, I look forward to rewatching Pretty Little Liars on the weekend and both the pool and the zoo recently opened.

Reach out to friends — even those from high school.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to people, even friends you haven’t talked to in a while. We’re all feeling a bit lonely and missing each other. We all need some support and a distraction. Let people know you miss them and enjoy catching up.

Don’t feel guilty about watching Netflix/Hulu or relaxing in other ways.

This is a unique period in which we have more time to relax. Take advantage of that! We all need to relax; we need to take care of ourselves if we want to be healthy and work efficiently. You have time to do what you need to do too. Take a deep breath. If you have anxious energy, it can help to play a game on your phone or do something crafty to keep your hands busy while you relax.

Everything will work out. Do your best, know “your best” doesn’t mean “perfect” — then try to relax.

Think back. Hasn’t everything worked out in one way or another? It will this time too. Your hard work will eventually pay off. Do what you can to help yourself move forward, but be gentle and self-compassionate if you can’t do as much as you’d like to or as much as you’re used to doing. We’re in a global pandemic and it’s tiring and emotional, even subconsciously. Take care of yourself and listen to your body.

While these lessons were reinforced for me during this time of quarantine, I believe they hold true for other periods as well. Even when the coronavirus is a distant part of history, we should still be self-compassionate. We should still relax and know we’re not alone.

I encourage you to think about what you’ve learned and how you can let those lessons benefit you moving forward.

Now go call an old friend or watch your favorite show in bed. You deserve it.