The announcement of the lock down in March was shocking at the time. It was abnormal to think that we would need to adapt to a remote way of socializing and working. For us college students, this included moving towards virtual learning and finding new ways to become a standout candidate to employers. The transition from in-person learning to online learning was a learning process for everyone. In the beginning, I was perplexed about how everything was going to be moved online. I had a few classes where our grades were fairly impacted by class discussions and presentations. Like many others, I wondered how my grades would be calculated after moving to virtual learning. Luckily, most of the professors were proactive and changed their curriculum and method of teaching to accommodate remote learning. The least I could do was to be patient and understanding of what the professors were going through. Overall, the experience of virtual learning was a good way to practice and adapt to the new reality. This experience gave me a good grasp on how online classes are conducted, and it is a good reference to see if I want to take online classes in the future. Not only has the pandemic impacted how we learn, it has also impacted my internship endeavors. Amidst everything going on, I struggled to find remote work, and my summer internship was canceled due to the pandemic. Although it was difficult in the beginning, I found motivation in hearing other students’ stories and experiences. I have seen people becoming more creative to differentiate themselves to not appear only as words on a paper. Tech-savvy students would use their social media platforms, create TikTok videos, and launch websites as a way of showcasing their work to potential employers. This inspired me to think outside of the box to differentiate myself as a candidate. Many students are also making the most of being stuck at home by using this time to learn and develop skills. Whether it be to brush up on Excel, completing a certification, or even developing an exercise schedule, we are all taking small steps each day to become a little bit better than the person we were yesterday. Although the pandemic has felt like a big hindrance, I think it’s important to realize that we have the power to change our situation right now. Instead of blaming the pandemic for the chances we lost, we should switch our perspective, and look at the opportunity we gained to adapt to the new virtual working world.
