College seniors 'uncertain' about what's next after pandemic disruptions

I feel a little underprepared, like I'm not really sure where I'm going or what I'm doing

and I'm just kind of going with it. Underprepared. It's how some young adults say they're feeling

as they're about to cross the stage to receive their college degrees

The reason why? Their college experience has been one shaped by a global pandemic

It all started in the spring of 2020 when their high school experience was turned upside down

There was no prom and then there was graduation was also canceled, but we ended up having it like later, like months after

As Ella Becker and Ethan Monroe prepared to face the real world, they look back on the moments in life they may have missed out on

Yeah, looking back on it, I think a lot of people felt like they missed out on stuff, like especially stuff like prom

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Ella and Ethan were wrapping up their high school careers, looking forward to taking that next step, college

Instead, they got an experience unlike any other. No prom and a graduation ceremony without any of the usual pomp and circumstance

For Ella, her music career took a strange turn. We used to do rehearsals in person every week and then suddenly that had to be transitioned

on to Zoom too which was really difficult trying to practice with other people on Zoom because it never worked You can play instruments at the same time because there lag and then internet issues

And that was, yeah, incredibly strange to transition from being in person there every week to being at home

When they arrived at college, they were met with more, as Ethan described, strangeness

The college experience was a lot less social than I thought it would be because of that

We had to wear masks and all of our chairs were about six feet apart from each other and we were all separated into different rooms because it was like an empty mall or something

So we all had different rooms we'd sit in by like alphabetical order

Bronwyn Nichols-Lodato is an assistant professor in arts and sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

What was shared on more than one occasion from the students was the loss of that orientation experience when they came to campus

That was really profound. Lodato wrote, COVID-19, the Great Recession and Young Adult Identity Development, Shock Sensitive Dynamic, Ecological Systems Theory

The book offers a glimpse into the lived experiences of first year college students during that time

In her research, LaDonna discovered that despite the extraordinary times, the students she interviewed were not dissuaded from continuing with their post education They were committed to getting their degrees That was something that gave if nothing else it was interesting It gave structure to their lives and something that

grounded them in a pursuit that served as its own kind of coping mechanism. That's what I saw

across the board. But there was that sense of loss. But even with the university's best efforts

Lodato says many students still felt lost. Don't assume that because there is a program or a support being offered

that it is understood and experienced as a support. Even post-pandemic, this age group still struggled to recover

according to a 2023 study by Northwestern University that found persistently high levels of anxiety and depression

among younger adults compared to middle-aged adults. I'm definitely a little more cautious than I think I would have been in high school

I've always been kind of a hypochondriac, but I think since the pandemic that's kind of escalated

so I'm always wary about touching other people or being in places where people are like coughing or sick

Despite the feeling of setback, this generation of college graduates isn't giving up

I feel like that's something everyone goes through, so I know I'm not alone in that aspect, but I'm still hopeful

But we can lose sight of the intrinsic humanity of these young adults as we navigating through and I think we will all be better for it And through it all their view on life has forever changed under their unique circumstances

I think now I'm aware that something could happen and the world could change very quickly

And I think that's something that I've kind of taken away from it

Now, as they hit the job market, they wonder if their college experience during COVID

will impact their future. So I would hope that these potential employers would understand and maybe relate to some of the things that I'm going through

I think in like a job interview, like do I shake their hand or do they not want to touch my hand, you know

And for those ready to hire these new graduates, Lodato reminds us that these young adults have been through a lot

And they still have a lot of life skills to achieve. We have to be thinking in terms of these human developmental needs that just are, that students and youths and young adults alike, whether you're enrolled or not, just missed out on

And understand how we can fill those gaps to continue to support thriving

Thanks for watching our special report. And thanks to our producer, Diane Duinez, for her work on this story

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kara Rucker. For more stories that matter to you, download our Straight Arrow News mobile app or visit us online at san.com