2020–2021: The College Perspective

For college students, 2020 was not the year we anticipated. Of course, this holds true for anyone you ask, but students were hit exceptionally hard by the pandemic in a wide variety of ways. Graduations cancelled or held virtually, classes all online, living at home with parents and families instead of in dorms or apartments with friends, missing out on school functions, not meeting new people or making friends in the dining halls, and more. We know these aren’t major things to worry about, but these are opportunities we have thought about for many years and were excited about that have been taken away from us seemingly overnight. Everyone says these are the best years of our lives, but we are stuck inside in our childhood bedrooms. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and spending time with them is my favorite thing to do, but this is not what I was anticipating for my early twenties. So, I decided to interview current seniors and recent graduates to learn about their different experiences of college in the pandemic. Warning: this is a longer post, but definitely worth the read. Here is what they had to say:

Recent Grads:

1. Name, School, Degree, Current Location

• Samantha Kelsey, Simmons University, BA in Public Relations and Marketing Communications. Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Carly Dickler, Simmons University, BA in Public Relations and Marketing Communications. Boston, MA.
• Bethelly Jean-Louis, Emerson College, B.S. Communication Studies, Boston MA

2. Can you describe how it felt to graduate remotely?

• Samantha: It feels complicated because there’s no celebration. No activities from the school to gain that closure from your college experience and then the fact that you are alone, no other students around. I can FaceTime classmates, but it feels wrong. On the other hand, it felt weird to just close my laptop and be done forever. I am so grateful I don’t have to ever do another semester online because that was horrible.
• Carly: It definitely didn’t feel real and I don’t think it will feel real until everyone is going back next semester and I’m not.
• Bethelly: It was underwhelming to say the least. I turned in my last final on a Friday morning, and that was the end. It was nice having people congratulate me, I think that was the only thing that solidified that my college career was ending.

3. Do you feel prepared to enter the workforce?

• Samantha: I think I do. My program had a huge focus on professional development and skills. I feel excited to start working.
• Carly: Absolutely. Emotionally, I’ve been done with school and ready to work full time since long before I graduated, and my wonderful professors equipped me with everything I could possibly need to be a strong candidate for the positions I’ll be applying for.
• Bethelly: I feel prepared, sure the actual task of entering the workforce and being a full-fledged adult is daunting but I’m feeling good so far. I’ve been fortunate enough to have various internships during my time in college and amazing professors who have been super helpful. I’m confident in my skills, I have a great network and I’m proud of my portfolio.

4. How is the job hunt going? Are you finding positions to apply for?

• Samantha: It’s going well so far! I’m so grateful for LinkedIn because alumnae have been the most helpful.
• Carly: I haven’t started looking yet! I had a really long semester and felt like I owed myself a week of rest before I put my nose to the grindstone. I have, however, had a couple of informational interviews that really helped me narrow down where I want to be and what kind of positions I should be keeping an eye out for.
• Bethelly: There are positions out there! However, the job hunt is a little bit frustrating. My expectations are a bit unrealistic in terms of timing. The timeline between an initial interview to a job offer can span over a few weeks. Patience is key, and I wasn’t prepared.

5. What, if any, are some advantages you feel you have from graduating during the pandemic and/or with your degree in the pandemic?

• Samantha: I think this year the importance of strong messaging out of organizations has been made clear and I see that reflected in the job postings. I don’t see a shortage of communications jobs and I’m so grateful for that. I also think recent grads have the advantage of being cheaper hires. We won’t need to take a pay cut in order to keep our job.
• Carly: I think communications will always be a necessary field, so even if positions are harder to come by at the moment, they’re never at a total hiring standstill. We’ve seen so many companies have PR flubs during this pandemic, so I’m optimistic that it helped everyone realize just how vital to organizations communications professionals are and always will be.
• Bethelly: There’s definitely a sense of empathy for the recent graduates entering the workforce. Employers understand that this is a particularly challenging time to enter the workforce. However, with that being said, I feel like that there are more disadvantages than advantages.

6. What are your biggest concerns/worries, if any, due to graduating during the pandemic?

• Samantha: I am worried about integrating into the work world and a new company virtually. It’s hard to gauge company culture online and that’s something important to me.
• Carly: I have the same concerns as a graduate during any other semester. My biggest concern is that I won’t be able to find a job in my preferred field, but that’s not really something I can help, so I’ve learned to kind of let that fear go. I’m confident that I’ll grow where I’m planted.
• Bethelly: My main concern is competition. Competition in the job market has drastically increased, so making sure that I stand out as a candidate is something that I keep in the back of my mind when applying for jobs. I also worry about salaries of entry-level positions since a lot of employers are making critical financial decisions during this pandemic.

7. Have you done any learning/certifications outside of the classroom to elevate your skills? If so, what?

• Samantha: I’ve been taking small certifications online and working on some freelance projects for artists and filmmakers. Now that I’m done with school, I want to work on promoting things I care about.
• Carly: I’ve intended on using this break to also complete a handful of Hubspot certifications. I’ve really only completed Google Analytics. I’ve also self-taught a ton of unique skills and software, I just don’t have the certifications to go with them. I think it’s important to get in front of as many tasks, social, email, and web management software as possible if you’re planning on heading into communications.
• Bethelly: Yes! I have LinkedIn Learning certificates in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. Also this past summer, I earned a PR Council’s Agency Ready certificate. I have a certification in Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research. I also took online courses using Percipio.

8. Do you have any suggestions for fellow recent graduates right now?

• Samantha: Reach out to people on LinkedIn. Worst case is they ignore you but if you’re thoughtful and really care, there are tons of people happy to help.
• Bethelly: Consider using a staffing agency or get connected to opportunities using a temp agency. You want to cast a very wide net, so the more opportunities you know about the better

9. Any last thoughts?

• Samantha: I am so ready to work it’s crazy, and I guess that’s what’s making it real I’ve graduated.
• Carly: Good luck to anyone reading this who just graduated or is wrapping up their degree in spring! We got this.
• Bethelly: Congrats class of 2020, we did it! I know it’s not easy out there, so allow yourself grace during these times.

These recent graduates have clearly learned to roll with the punches and, despite finishing college online, are certainly ready for whatever the workforce throws their way. Personally, I find it inspiring. Now, let’s hear from current seniors getting ready to graduate.

Current Seniors:

1. Name, School, Majors, Current Location

• Kaylin Doherty, Simmons University, PR/Mar Comm. Thief River Falls, MN
• Sydney Carlisle, UNH, Business Administration: Entrepreneurship & Accounting. Meredith, NH
• Annalise Pattavina, Loyola University-Chicago, Pre-Law Global International Studies and Human Services. Hancock, New Hampshire
• Amanda Papavasiliou, Stonehill College. Westwood, Massachusetts

2. Can you describe how it feels to do senior year remotely?

• Kaylin: If I could describe it in one word, it would be disappointing. I feel isolated and sad that I don’t get to see my friends before entering the workforce.
• Sydney: Doing senior year remotely was challenging, mainly due to the lack of social interaction. I didn’t realize how much the quick “hey’s” or chats in the hallway meant until this year. Zoom group meetings became my favorite part of the day because I actually got to have a conversation with other people. The academic side didn’t change as much for me, and I feel I adapted well to learning online.
• Annalise: It feels like I’ve been robbed of an important experience.
• Amanda: It has been a challenge doing senior year remotely. I always enjoyed being in my classes and participating in meaningful discussion with my peers. Being in an online setting made the ability to have these conversations more of a challenge.

3. Do you feel prepared to enter the workforce in the spring? Explain.

• Kaylin: I think I am as ready as I’ll ever be. I think with everything being online it is a bit easier to anticipate what daily tasks will be. I am a person who get a lot of anxiety when starting a new job, so I think being online will help it be an easier transition.
• Sydney: I can’t tell yet if I feel prepared or not. Part of me is because I know that my employer understands the challenges of this past year and how I have been learning differently. On the flip side, I don’t feel prepared because I am nervous to start something I’ve never done before. I hope I have the same base knowledge as everyone else, given that my senior year was remote.
• Annalise: I’m not entering the workforce in the spring; I have spring semester left of undergraduate college and then I’m going to law school.
• Amanda: I do feel prepared to enter the workforce in the spring because I’ve had an amazing experience interning at Skillsoft since May of 2020. Even though it’s remote, I’m able to learn so much and gain a lot of valuable skills to help me.

4. Are you looking for internships and/or jobs for spring? If so, how is it going? If not, why?

• Kaylin: I have an internship lined up for the spring. I only applied for one place and was accepted to it. Pretty much everyone I know has gotten the internship they wanted for next spring.
• Sydney: I’m happy to say I found a job for July 2021 — an associate level position at a tax and audit accounting firm in NH — and I can’t wait to start! It will be a new adventure; the people are so nice and I’m very ready for it!
• Annalise: I’m looking for an internship for my fieldwork class. It’s hard to look for placement right now because communicating with a professor over email has been tough and most places don’t want new people working for them.
• Amanda: I am staying on as an intern at Skillsoft in the spring!

5. What, if any, are some advantages you feel you have from doing college during the pandemic and/or with your major in the pandemic?

• Kaylin: I have spent more time with my family than I did in high school, so I am thankful for that. Major wise- communications is one of the easiest majors to do online. I feel like I would have learned the same amount if my communications classes were in person, so it was nice to keep that level of difficulty and still learn.
• Sydney: I think a big advantage for me was I was able move into an apartment with my boyfriend because of remote school. I have never lived on my own before, so it’s helped me grow a lot. Another positive is that I’ve recognized the importance of social interaction, travel, family/friends time, and self-care! I’ve focused and reflected on all of these things during the pandemic, and it’s improved my mindset on life in general.
• Annalise: The advantage I have had from doing college during the pandemic are having more time to work on after graduation applications.
• Amanda: The biggest advantage for me was it showed me I can adapt to any changes I am presented with. I was originally really nervous to learn online, but I ended up still doing well in school and can now say I’m able to learn no matter what changes occur.

6. What are your biggest concerns/worries, if any, due to going to school and eventually graduating during the pandemic?

• Kaylin: I am a little worried about the job market. I am looking to move somewhere new after I graduate, but I don’t know what the markets will look like in 4 months when I start applying. I am nervous that I won’t get that face-to-face action I enjoy, and that I won’t be able to say goodbye to my friends. I am worried that I didn’t take this time to do more.
• Sydney: My biggest worry was not being able to find a job, as unemployment levels are rising, so I am very thankful that I found one. Another worry of mine is not being as prepared to enter the workforce, but I am trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it is what it is, and every recent graduate is in the same boat so employers understand.
• Annalise: My graduation was canceled due to the pandemic and it was a good motivator to finish school, but now that event isn’t there to look forward to anymore. I worry that without in person interaction, everything will be more difficult.
• Amanda: At this point, I don’t have any major concerns or worries. The pandemic has been hard on everyone, but my school has done a fantastic job.

7. Have you done any learning/certifications outside of the classroom to elevate your skills? If so, what?

• Kaylin: Not yet, but I am looking to get some over break.
• Sydney: I have taken the Google Analytics IQ test and am now certified.
• Annalise: I haven’t, having two majors and two minors keeps me pretty busy!
• Amanda: I’ve used Skillsoft’s platform, Percipio (Get a free trial now!), to gain a lot of badges on Excel and how to adapt to the remote work force during a pandemic. Additionally, I have my Bloomberg certification.

8. Do you have any suggestions for fellow seniors in college right now?

• Kaylin: We have an opportunity right now to stick out. We can perfect our resumes and portfolios, get online certificates, and even develop projects we’ve always wanted to do. Even though the world sucks right now, we can do things to improve our skills so that we can prepare for when the pandemic is over.
• Sydney: Make the most of every opportunity you are given, even if it is online. Take time for self-care, and know that it is okay to relax! Take time off the screen to unwind and let your mind settle. Be positive, be safe, and be kind; this will pass!
• Annalise: For the fellow seniors in college, in the words of High School Musical, we are all in this together. No one understands this experience better than us! Hang in there, we’re so close to finishing!
• Amanda: To remember to cut yourself some slack! Take time for yourself to destress, whether it is the gym, meditating, or reaching out to family or friends.

If there is one takeaway I got personally from these responses, it is that this senior class is resilient and determined to find success, no matter what gets thrown our way. This time has given us the opportunity to reflect, decide what really matters in our lives, and try to prioritize these things in a way we may never have before. 2021, we’re ready for you.