The graduating class of COVID-19 and the new normal

Shortly before college seniors prepared to sing “Auld Lang Syne,” start a new year and get ready for their last semester of the 2019-2020 school year, news came from China about pneumonia cases with an unknown cause. Within days, the virus spread throughout Asia, and cases piled up at an accelerated rate. Less than a month went by, and the virus reached U.S. shores. Within a month and a half, nonessential businesses were closed, professional and college sports, cancelled and schools transitioned to an online structure.

Life as we knew it was flipped upside down, and our next steps as a society were ambiguous.

Almost immediately, all inperson college courses transferred to virtual settings, which affected both students and professors. A recent graduate of St. Joseph’s University and member of our financial planning team believed he and many of his classmates were prepared for the changes stating: “We have to be able to quickly learn and adapt to new things virtually, most of the time learning by doing.”

Technology issues with spotty WiFi and being out of the normal classroom setting affected concentration. He explained: “Many times, the professors would lose connection or have unstable Internet, which would lead to several minutes of hearing something you couldn’t understand.” The students-professor interactions changed from valuable face-to-face time, to scheduling Zoom or phone meetings or emails. On the bright side, at least there was no more running through the quad to make it to class on time, and students did not have to leave their bed to attend 8 a.m. classes.

An associate professor of nursing and director of Pre-Licensure Undergraduate Programs at Widener University felt her 25 years of experience as a registered nurse prepared her to be ready for the unexpected at any given moment. Transitioning an entire curriculum for virtual delivery is a little more complex, especially in a nursing program that requires psychomotor skills. She explains: “Traditional lecture, simulations, and clinical experiences cannot simply be moved to an online format. A great deal of planning, hours of problem-solving, collaboration with colleagues, and creative thinking was required to successfully adapt to changes in teaching and learning caused by a single virus.” The professor and her faculty members soon yearned to regain the personal connection developed with their students in the classroom and during office hours. At-home environments were a center of concern for students, lacking privacy, resources and a quiet area to study or take exams. Faculty and students found themselves paying closer attention to selfcare and mental wellness, while participating in activities, such as exercising and going outside, to relieve stress and remove themselves from the computer.

Over the past several years, St. Joseph’s Haub School of Business has been in the top 25 of “U.S. News & World Report College Rankings.” Its goal was to maintain this prestige during the pandemic, and continue to challenge students. Theoretical learning is presented within a classroom setting, and students can gain real world experience by being involved in a CoOp or internship. Our employee said there were no significant changes to the coursework, but group projects were changed to individual assignments, and exams were proctored by the St. Joseph’s faculty via Zoom.

The Widener nursing program, which is ranked 10th in Pennsylvania among private colleges, provides students with several methods of acquiring knowledge and skills. The theoretical portion, which is taught in the classroom, was easy to transition when the COVID-19 lockdown began. Clinical rotations, which are at some of the region’s top hospitals, had to be altered because the personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to be spared for essential hospital staff. The program had to fill an educational void with case studies, videos, and virtual patients. There were no changes to exams, except for the location of the students. It was required they have Zoom on their phones to allow faculty members to proctor the exam.

The country is slowly opening, but universities are being cautious and continuing online classes. Both St. Joseph’s and Widener are going to conduct the summer semesters virtually, but will be prepared for all scenarios. You cannot help but feel bad for those students graduating this spring knowing all the memories that could have been. At the same time, there is that exact feeling toward the professors who developed strong bonds with their students and had those relationships suddenly cut. Developing a strong professor-student relationship is often overlooked, yet it is can be one of life’s most inspirational experiences. Professors challenge students to be the best version of themselves, and they will likely become their first mentors outside of a family member or childhood friend. Although these bonds are rarely sought when applying for college, the significance has tremendous impact in future years.

For college seniors, to say this year was unusual or extraordinary would be an understatement. It was going to be an optimistic start to the new decade before joining a workforce that had an unemployment rate of 3.5%, which was a 50-year low. Instead, students are confined to their homes, socializing is based on WiFi connection, curriculums are altered and graduations conducted through Zoom.

This makes me believe 2020 college seniors will be forever remembered as the graduating class of COVID-19, and going forward, a new normal may prevail.

Pete Hoover was destined to be a financial advisor. He has always been intrigued by numbers and money matters. They represent captivating puzzles to be analyzed, shaped and fit into place as pictures of financial solidarity. For nearly 40 years, Hoover has tackled those financial puzzles. In 2005, he launched Hoover Financial Advisors, located in Malvern. Hoover can be reached by emailing pete@hfaplanning.

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