2020 College Graduates

[GoodGrief]

Anyone else have a college senior graduate this spring? My "homeschooled pre-K to 12th" had her online ceremony a couple weeks ago, graduating with high honors with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a certificate (her school's version of a minor) in Chinese Language and Culture. She won a couple of awards that came with cash, which was useful as she enters adult life with all its expenses. She has struggled with health issues for the last year, so it was great to see her finish on time and with bonus achievements too.

Originally she had hoped to go to grad school this year, but the health stuff interfered with her pulling it together to complete the GRE and take on applications. The companies that were showing lots of interest pre-Covid, and seemed strong options for employment stopped hiring for now. So, she is living with her sister in the Southwest and doing a remote 3 month job and feeling pretty lucky to get that. Their area is still quite locked down, but hopefully other possibilities open up, and in the meantime she is prepping for grad school apps, doing a lot of running, and living on the cheap 🙂

I'd love to hear about the other grads.

[fourisenough]

Congratulations to your DD. It sounds like she has a good plan and excellent prospects!

My oldest earned her BSN this spring. She was awarded the Clinical Excellence Award at her college and was the featured student speaker at her school’s pinning ceremony. It was lovely and would have been even more meaningful if we could have all attended in person! She is currently awaiting approval from the state board of nursing to take her NCLEX, after which she will begin working, hopefully, in an ICU. Most of the hospitals she’s interested in are suspending their summer cohorts of nursing new hires, but plan to resume hiring in the fall. She’s spending the summer at home with us and we couldn’t be happier, since she’s been about 1,000 miles away while in college! 
 

She had originally thought she’d like to work for a couple of years and then go to nurse anesthesia school. However, she’s become very interested in public health and medical ethics. I can see her deciding to pursue a PhD and forge a career in academia or policy. Who really knows where she’ll land. But, she thrives when pondering and discussing big ideas. She has always been a wise, old soul in a young person’s body!

[GoodGrief]

2 hours ago, fourisenough said:

Congratulations to your DD. It sounds like she has a good plan and excellent prospects!

My oldest earned her BSN this spring. She was awarded the Clinical Excellence Award at her college and was the featured student speaker at her school’s pinning ceremony. It was lovely and would have been even more meaningful if we could have all attended in person! She is currently awaiting approval from the state board of nursing to take her NCLEX, after which she will begin working, hopefully, in an ICU. Most of the hospitals she’s interested in are suspending their summer cohorts of nursing new hires, but plan to resume hiring in the fall. She’s spending the summer at home with us and we couldn’t be happier, since she’s been about 1,000 miles away while in college! 
 

She had originally thought she’d like to work for a couple of years and then go to nurse anesthesia school. However, she’s become very interested in public health and medical ethics. I can see her deciding to pursue a PhD and forge a career in academia or policy. Who really knows where she’ll land. But, she thrives when pondering and discussing big ideas. She has always been a wise, old soul in a young person’s body!

That all sounds wonderful! Was the pinning ceremony virtual? I think it will be really nice to have the summer to lay low!

[fourisenough]

5 hours ago, GoodGrief1 said:

That all sounds wonderful! Was the pinning ceremony virtual? I think it will be really nice to have the summer to lay low!

Yes, *sigh*, it was virtual. On the upside, the video was shared widely among family and friends, so many more got to watch it than would have been able to attend in-person. And we’ll always have a high-quality, professionally produced video of the ceremony rather than just our faulty memories to rely on! 🤪
 

 

[teachermom2834]

My ds graduated in May with no ceremony of any kind. Originally the school planned an October graduation weekend but now rumor is they will combine it with the class of 2021 graduation. He has had an accounting job lined up since September 2019 to start September 2020. So all this time thinking he was all set and then this virus hit and turned everything upside down. He is still scheduled to start work in the fall, though the company has said it might be pushed to October because of covid. So hopefully it will still come through.

He has spent the time since graduation studying for his CPA exam (because of de credits he was able to complete the required coursework during his undergrad). He also picked up a job sanitizing golf carts at a country club once things started reopening and he is coaching a travel baseball team. So he is keeping busy, making some money, and working toward his CPA. 

He is also taking care of things like changing his residency to where he lives now, switching off our car insurance policy to his own, etc. trying to really get independent.

[fourisenough]

2 hours ago, teachermom2834 said:

My ds graduated in May with no ceremony of any kind. Originally the school planned an October graduation weekend but now rumor is they will combine it with the class of 2021 graduation. He has had an accounting job lined up since September 2019 to start September 2020. So all this time thinking he was all set and then this virus hit and turned everything upside down. He is still scheduled to start work in the fall, though the company has said it might be pushed to October because of covid. So hopefully it will still come through.

He has spent the time since graduation studying for his CPA exam (because of de credits he was able to complete the required coursework during his undergrad). He also picked up a job sanitizing golf carts at a country club once things started reopening and he is coaching a travel baseball team. So he is keeping busy, making some money, and working toward his CPA. 

He is also taking care of things like changing his residency to where he lives now, switching off our car insurance policy to his own, etc. trying to really get independent.

Sounds like he’s making very productive use of his downtime before his career position begins. Congratulations to him & you!

[Melissa B]

My dd just graduated. I am sad for her today. The university just announced yesterday that they will not hold the rescheduled graduation ceremony in July. She was homeschooled throughout and has chosen not to pursue a graduate degree at this time so this would have been her only ceremony. She has her cap and gown and the special cords she had earned. It is so disappointing. And job prospects are not great either. At least she has a part time job in her field which she really enjoys. However, it doesn't pay well enough for her to move away from home and there isn't really any opportunity for full time work or upward movement in her field if she stays with that company. So another disappointment for her. She is enjoying the freedom of not being in school or having to make any plans concerning her education. And she is hopeful job opportunities will increase as the economy begins to recover.

[GoodGrief]

18 hours ago, fourisenough said:

Yes, *sigh*, it was virtual. On the upside, the video was shared widely among family and friends, so many more got to watch it than would have been able to attend in-person. And we’ll always have a high-quality, professionally produced video of the ceremony rather than just our faulty memories to rely on! 🤪
 

 

 There definitely were upsides to the way it all played out. I liked the sharing with extended family aspect too.

[GoodGrief]

18 hours ago, teachermom2834 said:

My ds graduated in May with no ceremony of any kind. Originally the school planned an October graduation weekend but now rumor is they will combine it with the class of 2021 graduation. He has had an accounting job lined up since September 2019 to start September 2020. So all this time thinking he was all set and then this virus hit and turned everything upside down. He is still scheduled to start work in the fall, though the company has said it might be pushed to October because of covid. So hopefully it will still come through.

He has spent the time since graduation studying for his CPA exam (because of de credits he was able to complete the required coursework during his undergrad). He also picked up a job sanitizing golf carts at a country club once things started reopening and he is coaching a travel baseball team. So he is keeping busy, making some money, and working toward his CPA. 

He is also taking care of things like changing his residency to where he lives now, switching off our car insurance policy to his own, etc. trying to really get independent.

 My daughter's school says they will do a May 2021 grad ceremony for the 2020 class. I don't know how many parents would go if it plays out that way; sounds like something that might be fun for the students though.

Ah, those transitioning to the adult world tasks! Daughter got an insurance quote just today herself!

[GoodGrief]

9 hours ago, Melissa B said:

My dd just graduated. I am sad for her today. The university just announced yesterday that they will not hold the rescheduled graduation ceremony in July. She was homeschooled throughout and has chosen not to pursue a graduate degree at this time so this would have been her only ceremony. She has her cap and gown and the special cords she had earned. It is so disappointing. And job prospects are not great either. At least she has a part time job in her field which she really enjoys. However, it doesn't pay well enough for her to move away from home and there isn't really any opportunity for full time work or upward movement in her field if she stays with that company. So another disappointment for her. She is enjoying the freedom of not being in school or having to make any plans concerning her education. And she is hopeful job opportunities will increase as the economy begins to recover.

 Oh, that is SO disappointing! Would have been special to have the experience of walking at graduation. I hope for the best for all our graduates...hoping the jobs come! Glad she can stay with you in the meantime.

[teachermom2834]

4 hours ago, GoodGrief1 said:

 My daughter's school says they will do a May 2021 grad ceremony for the 2020 class. I don't know how many parents would go if it plays out that way; sounds like something that might be fun for the students though.

Ah, those transitioning to the adult world tasks! Daughter got an insurance quote just today herself!

In my son's case I think the May 2021 ceremony would be fun. It is a tiny school and my ds has a close friend group, coaches, teachers, administrators, etc. he all had personal relationships with. I can see his group having a fun one year reunion celebration especially as most of them have jobs or nice grad assistant gigs and it could be fun for them to come together for a weekend to catch up (and actually have some cash in their pockets to play with). We will see how it plays out. 

We have had a snafu transferring car insurance that has taken several weeks and several phone calls to resolve. So he is getting a taste of real world tasks for sure :)

[GoodGrief]

9 hours ago, teachermom2834 said:

In my son's case I think the May 2021 ceremony would be fun. It is a tiny school and my ds has a close friend group, coaches, teachers, administrators, etc. he all had personal relationships with. I can see his group having a fun one year reunion celebration especially as most of them have jobs or nice grad assistant gigs and it could be fun for them to come together for a weekend to catch up (and actually have some cash in their pockets to play with). We will see how it plays out. 

We have had a snafu transferring car insurance that has taken several weeks and several phone calls to resolve. So he is getting a taste of real world tasks for sure :)

 I hope it works out. One year post-grad is a good time for the students to get back together. Most are not overly tied down with adult responsibilities at that point.

[fourisenough]

On 6/10/2020 at 11:18 PM, fourisenough said:

Congratulations to your DD. It sounds like she has a good plan and excellent prospects!

My oldest earned her BSN this spring. She was awarded the Clinical Excellence Award at her college and was the featured student speaker at her school’s pinning ceremony. It was lovely and would have been even more meaningful if we could have all attended in person! She is currently awaiting approval from the state board of nursing to take her NCLEX, after which she will begin working, hopefully, in an ICU. Most of the hospitals she’s interested in are suspending their summer cohorts of nursing new hires, but plan to resume hiring in the fall. She’s spending the summer at home with us and we couldn’t be happier, since she’s been about 1,000 miles away while in college! 
 

She had originally thought she’d like to work for a couple of years and then go to nurse anesthesia school. However, she’s become very interested in public health and medical ethics. I can see her deciding to pursue a PhD and forge a career in academia or policy. Who really knows where she’ll land. But, she thrives when pondering and discussing big ideas. She has always been a wise, old soul in a young person’s body!

Quoting myself with a quick update. DD was just offered a dream job: a new grad nurse resident position in an ICU at the Cleveland Clinic. She isn’t necessarily thrilled with having to suffer through Midwest winters again, but she knows it is an amazing opportunity to work in one of the best health systems with some of the sickest patients. So glad that she has finally gotten some good news. The uncertainty and continued cancellations of important events this spring and summer has been a real bummer, so this is an especially welcome development. 

Edited June 30, 2020 by fourisenough

[GoodGrief]

2 hours ago, fourisenough said:

Quoting myself with a quick update. DD was just offered a dream job: a new grad nurse resident position in an ICU at the Cleveland Clinic. She isn’t necessarily thrilled with having to suffer through Midwest winters again, but she knows it is an amazing opportunity to work in one of the best health systems with some of the sickest patients. So glad that she has finally gotten some good news. The uncertainty and continued cancellations of important events this spring and summer has been a real bummer, so this is an especially welcome development. 

 That really is awesome! My first nursing job was part of a dedicated nurse internship and it is a great way to ease into the profession.

[JanetC]

My oldest graduated with a degree in art and theatre. Her dream jobs would be in either lighting or set carpentry ... but the industry is completely gone.
She is back home and unhappy. She misses her college friends but doesn't know how to reach out to them for "real" conversations versus the superficial social media stuff.

I'm trying to be patient and let her adjust to her situation. It's so hard.

[GoodGrief]

1 minute ago, JanetC said:

My oldest graduated with a degree in art and theatre. Her dream jobs would be in either lighting or set carpentry ... but the industry is completely gone.
She is back home and unhappy. She misses her college friends but doesn't know how to reach out to them for "real" conversations versus the superficial social media stuff.

I'm trying to be patient and let her adjust to her situation. It's so hard.

Such a sad time for people in the arts. It's a tough transition from college under the best of circumstances, especially for someone who was very connected socially at school.

[fourisenough]

7 hours ago, JanetC said:

My oldest graduated with a degree in art and theatre. Her dream jobs would be in either lighting or set carpentry ... but the industry is completely gone.
She is back home and unhappy. She misses her college friends but doesn't know how to reach out to them for "real" conversations versus the superficial social media stuff.

I'm trying to be patient and let her adjust to her situation. It's so hard.

Congratulations on her graduation. Here’s hoping the resiliency of youth will allow her to recalibrate her career plans and find new ways to connect with and relate to friends. In the meantime, it’s good you’re being patient with her. This is big, sad stuff and it’s so important to have space to feel all of it.

[easypeasy]

On 6/30/2020 at 10:58 PM, JanetC said:

My oldest graduated with a degree in art and theatre. Her dream jobs would be in either lighting or set carpentry ... but the industry is completely gone.
She is back home and unhappy. She misses her college friends but doesn't know how to reach out to them for "real" conversations versus the superficial social media stuff.

I'm trying to be patient and let her adjust to her situation. It's so hard.

It is so hard. 😕 Time should heal everything - but getting through it isn't always easy right now. 😕

My DD graduated and said she needed time to heal from the experience. Swore she could never set foot in a classroom ever again. She was serious. She came home and mostly holed up in her room after her classes were officially over. She sorted and rearranged her bedroom to her liking, has spent a lot of time alone, outside, and just sort of mulling things over quietly and slowly. We gave her the space she needed and I am thrilled that she came to some very mature and proactive conclusions about her future and will be back in school this fall with a very clear plan of action for her future! I'm so proud of her and ecstatic that she's the driving force behind her decisions and that her Plan A will place her in a very good job within a few years - and a job that I think she will absolutely love doing. So happy for her and glad to have her home again while taking these next steps!!! She gets overwhelmed easily (a new development after she moved far, far away for college) and having her home means I can pick up some of the slack when she's feeling snowed under. I'm happy to do her laundry, feed her, etc so that she can focus on her schoolwork and a part-time job.

So happy that she's recovered and starting to return to her pre-university-experience self!!

[GoodGrief]

19 hours ago, easypeasy said:

It is so hard. 😕 Time should heal everything - but getting through it isn't always easy right now. 😕

My DD graduated and said she needed time to heal from the experience. Swore she could never set foot in a classroom ever again. She was serious. She came home and mostly holed up in her room after her classes were officially over. She sorted and rearranged her bedroom to her liking, has spent a lot of time alone, outside, and just sort of mulling things over quietly and slowly. We gave her the space she needed and I am thrilled that she came to some very mature and proactive conclusions about her future and will be back in school this fall with a very clear plan of action for her future! I'm so proud of her and ecstatic that she's the driving force behind her decisions and that her Plan A will place her in a very good job within a few years - and a job that I think she will absolutely love doing. So happy for her and glad to have her home again while taking these next steps!!! She gets overwhelmed easily (a new development after she moved far, far away for college) and having her home means I can pick up some of the slack when she's feeling snowed under. I'm happy to do her laundry, feed her, etc so that she can focus on her schoolwork and a part-time job.

So happy that she's recovered and starting to return to her pre-university-experience self!!

Congratulations on her graduation. Yes, the transition can be so difficult for many, even in the best of times. And all the uncertainty now compounds everything. So she is attending grad school in the fall then?

[easypeasy]

1 hour ago, GoodGrief1 said:

Congratulations on her graduation. Yes, the transition can be so difficult for many, even in the best of times. And all the uncertainty now compounds everything. So she is attending grad school in the fall then?

 

No - working on a certification first and then will head to grad school once that's complete!

[Mom22ns]

My youngest graduated this spring with her BSN and I graduated with my MA in English lit. 

It was really hard on my youngest not having a graduation. She didn't want a graduation of any kind after homeschooling, but this was going to be her one big moment, and it's gone. That's ok. She passed her NCLEX and started working as a nurse. The moment passed, but life goes on.

[JenneinCA]

My middle child graduated in May with a degree in Computer Science.  He has a job and starts at the end of the month.  He is also sharing a room with his 16 year old brother.  This was not his plan.  The plan was that he and a friend were going to get an apartment.  The friend is in another state. He isn’t sure he really wants to be alone in an apartment anyway because of shelter in place rules and he doesn’t want to be that isolated.

Oldest child is doing online study abroad.  That is very weird too.  Everything here is very weird.

 

[GoodGrief]

4 hours ago, Mom22ns said:

My youngest graduated this spring with her BSN and I graduated with my MA in English lit. 

It was really hard on my youngest not having a graduation. She didn't want a graduation of any kind after homeschooling, but this was going to be her one big moment, and it's gone. That's ok. She passed her NCLEX and started working as a nurse. The moment passed, but life goes on.

It's such a disappointment for some of the young people. Fantastic that she got a job right away! Tough to find nursing jobs in some places right now.

[GoodGrief]

1 hour ago, JenneinCA said:

My middle child graduated in May with a degree in Computer Science.  He has a job and starts at the end of the month.  He is also sharing a room with his 16 year old brother.  This was not his plan.  The plan was that he and a friend were going to get an apartment.  The friend is in another state. He isn’t sure he really wants to be alone in an apartment anyway because of shelter in place rules and he doesn’t want to be that isolated.

Oldest child is doing online study abroad.  That is very weird too.  Everything here is very weird.

 

 Congrats to middle child! Yes, so so weird!