Graduating in the Time of COVID | China Youth Daily
Song Xinran—China Youth Daily
For the graduating class of 2020, what was supposed to be a season of celebration turned quickly to disappointment. School reopenings were repeatedly delayed, and many college students had to complete the last few months of their studies online. In this essay, China Youth Daily asked students from several universities across China to document their own graduations. Some schools orchestrated social-distance commencements, while others opted for streaming their ceremonies entirely online. In the latter case, classmates and roommates who spent years studying and living together could not bid farewell in person, leaving many with regrets. Some who couldn’t return to campus had to rely on faculty members to pack up their dorm rooms. Now, they face an even greater challenge: braving the post-COVID economy to find a job.
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For the graduating class of 2020, what was supposed to be a season of celebration turned quickly to disappointment. School reopenings were repeatedly delayed, and many college students had to complete the last few months of their studies online. In this essay, China Youth Daily asked students from several universities across China to document their own graduations. Some schools orchestrated social-distance commencements, while others opted for streaming their ceremonies entirely online. In the latter case, classmates and roommates who spent years studying and living together could not bid farewell in person, leaving many with regrets. Some who couldn’t return to campus had to rely on faculty members to pack up their dorm rooms. Now, they face an even greater challenge: braving the post-COVID economy to find a job.