One year later: Advice for the class of 2020

I know you guys are bummed out due to the fact that the current graduating class that came immediately after us was able to have a somewhat traditional ending to their senior year. They were able to have prom and a graduation ceremony with COVID-19 restrictions in place, while we didn't have anything at all, since we graduated during lockdown, when the coronavirus was still new and the health force barely knew anything about it. You're not alone. If anything, there are a few advantages of missing out on the lass quarter of senior year, even though the price to pay was extreme. Here is some silver lining:

*No Ceremony: True, while it may seem like your accomplishments were pushed to the side, the bright side is that we didn't have to spend days having graduation rehearsal or listen to hours of boring speeches, most of us had a brief drive-by graduation that was in and out (10 minutes or less) or a virtual commencement that we didn't have to watch. People with normal graduations had to endure all of that.

*No final goodbyes: It taught you that the people who are your true friends are the ones that still speak to you after high school. The people that actually check up on you and text back. If anything, being ripped away from high school made the ending to our senior year less sad than a normal ending, due to the fact that ending high school was less thematic and overshadowed by the pandemic. Which ultimately made leaving high school feel like it was not a big deal. It will also teach you that high school doesn't matter. 10 years later, everyone who peaked in high school and had normal graduations will be dwelling on the past and wishing they were back in high school, while you get to completely move forward while enjoying the present and never looking back. In a normal conclusion, you have to hold back tears while singing people's yearbooks, saying your final goodbyes and giving people hugs, while the school goes all out to celebrate, making it seem very very sad.


*No prom: You didn't have to go through the stress looking for a date, and if you haven't paid already, you saved a lot of money not buying an outfit. Nor did you have to worry about getting extra attention from family members during your prom sendoff event. You also didn't have to worry about planning after parties or hotels to stay in afterward. True it may suck, but there are some plusses to this. It will also make you appreciate the special events and parties that will come after the pandemic even more.

*Not taking finals/remote learning: Most schools cancelled the finals during this quarter of the year, so that's a plus, especially to people who were in jeopardy of failing high school considering the fact that the finals were a huge chunk of your final grade. It also gave you an excuse to slack off. If it weren't for the pandemic, there would've been a lot more people who would've flunked high school.