By Kedina Hoeft, Year 12
All around the world people are grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Student learning has definitely become more interactive since our vigorous lockdown before summer, but life can still feel very restricted. Is the situation any different for our graduating class of 2020? How are they dealing with transitioning into university life with the limitations imposed by COVID-19?
A recently graduated student attending the University of Exeter in the UK has described the transition from high school to university as challenging, but manageable. Corona has had drastic effects for students entering their first university semester. In the UK, clubs and most social gatherings with large groups are forbidden, meaning opportunities for socialisation have been limited. The advice for this year’s graduating class is that the priority is to stay safe in times of a global pandemic, but it’s still important to have fun and meet new people (while respecting the restrictive measures imposed by the university and country, of course).
Another student at the Southern Methodist University in the U.S. gave more insight into what measures are being imposed at their university. Students were given the option to do a virtual semester or flexible semester where some classes would be attended online and others in person. There are restrictions on the number of students in areas like the library or classrooms on campus. The university also offers free COVID-19 testing and accommodation in case a student is required to quarantine. An insightful tip from the student to this year’s graduates was to not worry about the transition to university life not being how they imagined. The student went on to say that it will be an exciting and amazing chapter in life. If you’re worried about making friends, there’s always opportunities for socialising in dining halls, libraries or online class group chats and chances to get to know other people while taking into consideration COVID-19 precautions.
LGB’s class of 2020 all around the globe have managed their transition into university successfully even with the frustrating effects of COVID-19. Many have learned to cope well with making friends and getting settled in their new environments despite certain limitations. Many students say the situation is drastically different from what they would have imagined only a year ago, but for the graduating class of this year their advice is to enjoy the end of high school as well as the beginning of your university experience.
