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Students navigate choppy waters during coronavirus pandemic

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons by Nick Doty

By Patrick Lorenzo

We might be all sailing the uncertain waters of the pandemic, however, our ships navigating these choppy seas are not built the same. Remote learning, lack of technology, unstable homes, multitasking parents and/or limited resources have produced a tidal wave. We are not all equipped to manage this storm.

Some students continue to learn in some kind of distance format while others need to find wifi. Other students must take on other responsibilities while their parents may be unemployed while teaching their kids and/or taking care of extended family members.

It is impossible to estimate the kind of damage this has or will do to our society. The ramifications will be far reaching and have lingering effects. Revamped Advanced Placement (AP) examinations are underway online with concerns around test integrity and security. Many are concerned these exams are not equitable. For graduating seniors, credit for college might look the same, but is a modified, shortened 45 minute test fair and just? And then there are evolving plans for what might fall look like. Welcome week activities, a signature experience for incoming students won’t be the same. Move-in might be modified and not even possible without rethinking space and social distancing. Community College, already impacted with enrollment management challenges might have more students looking to stay closer to home, save money, or to hit the reset button for future plans.

Sophomores and juniors wondering about grades and standardized testing have their own set of worries. Some school districts are providing a different kind of grading that might be relaxed or in a P/NP format. Then you have canceled sittings for both ACT and the SAT that could stretch into fall. Even with launching new dates, concerns around reopening test administration safely for not only the students, but the staff to proctor must be factored. This has prompted plans for online delivery and naturally has raised concerns around validity. Some colleges are relaxing testing requirements while others might not even accept these versions. Ninth graders transitioning to high school find themselves amidst an unlikely transition that will change their educational experience and possibilities moving forward.

Everyone deals with grief and fatigue differently. No one is better or worse because one has hope or one has angst. We can hold space for those trying to be positive and pushing forward while others sit with discomfort and frustration. Be yourself. Consider a plan that emphasizes reflection, grace, and patience. Take a step back and assess your college picture. Think about applying to test-optional colleges instead of worrying about taking a test. Be kind to yourself and others. Look inward and create from within. Various activities might be canceled, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still create and produce. No more rear view mirror checking or keeping score. The future is unknown; hang on, hold tight, and virtual hugs to those near and dear to your heart.

About the author: Patrick Gabriel Lorenzo, a first-generation Filipino American, is a Co-Director of College Counseling at a girl’s Catholic prep school in the Bay Area. Prior to his school counselor position, he worked in higher education for twelve years, nine of them in college admissions at two selective institutions. You can follow him on twitter @theedutainer.

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