Graduating in the Silence of Lockdown: Throwback Experiences of Pandemic Graduates

Interviewer: Ziad Zaki

Interviewee: Salma Youssef
Date: 28-3-2023

Three years ago, this month, the Coronavirus pandemic forced the world into lockdown. In the
wake of mourning, loss, and depression, students were reported to have suffered knowledge gaps
of up to 30% in some countries upon their return to mainstream learning. According to a report
by the World Bank, around 1.6 billion students worldwide were affected by school and
university closures at that time. In Egypt alone, more than 2.5 million students were impacted by
the shutdown. Three years after the initial disaster, we look back on some of the real-life
experiences of high school graduates turned college students who matriculated in the silence of
the night without a prom and without their long awaited rites to pomp and circumstance. (0.41)

SY: "It really was a stressful time, to say the least. There were lots of sleepless nights,
and I wasn't sure what was going to happen with final exams. I was an IB student, so
everything was up in the air. In the end, we didn't even get a proper graduation
ceremony. Instead, we got a graduation bus that came to deliver our diplomas with our
principal. Everyone was masked, and really that was about it." (0.23)

Although many students worldwide opted to take a gap year in light of the global circumstances,
Salma decided to pursue her university education and registered for classes in September of
2020, even though her Freshman year would be fully virtual. (0.13)

SY: "It seemed like the natural order, and I didn't wanna let anything step in my way. I
was ready to move on. It wasn't the best time, to be honest. I really struggled with online
learning and being confined to my home during lockdown. It took a huge toll on my
mental health, and I spent most of my time in my room. I became really depressed after a
while. It was difficult for me to wake up in the morning, so I ended up being late to a lot
of my classes and even skipping some. I learned my lesson for the rest of my university
career, though. I never signed up for an early class again." (0.35)

Salma's experience is not unique. According to a study published in the Journal of Medical
Internet Research, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of university
students. In a survey of over 4,000 university students from around the world, over 60% reported
experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. (0.18)

SY: "It was hard, I remember I struggled with social media cause everyday I was
reading about people dying. In hindsight, I’m very grateful for my family and friends.
They’re still with me. We were lucky." (0.14)

1
Not all people thrive in virtual communities. Although platforms like Zoom and Teams were a
saving grace, they lacked the natural interactions that are commonplace in physical classrooms—
like whispering between two friends, the smiles of acknowledgement when eyes meet, the
tapping of pens, the flipping of pages in a notebook. For Salma, her experience improved
drastically when face-to-face classes resumed. (0.21)

SY: "It's been a lot better, honestly. I find it much easier to engage in my studies and
connect with my peers when I'm physically in a classroom." (0.08)

As universities around the world continue to grapple with the pandemic, it's clear that the effects
will be long-lasting. But with determination and resilience, students like Salma are adapting to
the new reality and finding ways to succeed and rise to the challenges. Since 2020, universities
worldwide have developed institutions like AUC’s Student Wellness Center to support those
who continue to struggle. (0.23)

Ziad Zaki A-U-C News.