27 Sep 2020

All of us graduating either high school, uni, TAFE or what have you, we've copped the short straw. No big celebrations. Not the best closure. Potentially not a lot of job opportunities and prospects... Absolutely fabulous, right?

For me, during the corona storm, I was tackling an abundance of assignments and exams for uni. I grew accustomed to lectures over zoom (well, not very accustomed as I did forget to mute myself before going to the loo once).

At the time, I didn't mind it. Naturally, I'm overly optimistic, so I just assumed that things would blow over in no time. Ignorance is bliss, hey?

Things don't look like they'll be just 'blowing over' anytime soon, leaving me among the many of graduates feeling a bit robbed.

 

Graduation is supposed to be memorable!! No matter if you frothed studying or hated it with every fibre of your being, this is the time to let your hair down and say hasta la vista to your teachers, tutors and classmates. The blood, sweat and tears you copped are commemorated in a graduation ceremony, followed closely by either a formal or an epic partaaayyy.

These celebrations give you a sense of immense relief! It's all over! Your family and friends can rejoice in your freedom as well.

Whilst celebrating graduation online still connects students somewhat, there is a lack of tangible closure that leaves everyone feeling a little underwhelmed. I mean, I don't know about you, but my uni experience has been a WHIRLWIND, to say the least, yet graduating this year leaves me saying "meh", as if it's not a big deal. But it is!! Graduating is an insane accomplishment that unfortunately is being pushed under the rug underneath, you know, a worldwide pandemic and all that... Lame.

There's also a lack of closure, making it hard to move on into the real world... And this real-world is a little all over the place if you haven't noticed already. From high school to uni and TAFE graduates, everyone I know is nervous about trying to enter the workforce rn in an uncertain climate.

So I think we get it, graduating this year is a real drag... But this is what makes me feel better.

Everyone is copping the chaos right now! There's uncertainty everywhere therefore the pressure of scoring a job ASAP has been completely relieved from my shoulders. There will be light at the end of the tunnel but for now, I just have to let it happen, go with the flow and keep that optimism high, even when the world gets me down.

Things are crazy and out of our control. All we can do is strive for the best and roll with the punches. We will be the graduates that go down in history - graduating in that cooked year 2020... And yet we're still sending it.