As post-secondary students, part of what we deal with is future management. This means that, on or off campus, we students should never stop thinking about our futures, especially during a global pandemic. That’s why our post-secondary system works so well, and why it remains even more relevant during the COVID-19 crisis.
Right now, we are in a war. A war unlike any another. In order to win, we must broaden our minds by working on our education so when we are out of this, we have the knowledge to battle the recession and help form brighter futures for all of us. We all must remember that it’s always darkest before the dawn and that when the dawn comes, it will be up to us to determine how much better our post-COVID-19 reality will be compared to our past.
The hard truth is that our normal economy isn’t coming back any time soon. In addition to this grim reality, we’re in a recession. We’re seeing a lot of heightened prices and will likely see more as we work out of the recession. The housing market and job market are not immune to COVID-19 impacts, leaving many citizens jobless or homeless, or both. And crime will, unfortunately, go up because of the increase of poverty-stricken and needy citizens.
But there is some good news. You can do things to keep your own future bright, and that is where college comes in. During this pandemic, we must turn to the post-secondary system because it’s the only system that will provide us with the education we need to not only survive the recession but to also provide you with the tools you need to help make our post-COVID-19 world a better place.
Sure, you can say that going to college during the pandemic is a bad idea. You can make a point about how difficult it is to get textbooks, or how Zoom cut you off during an important class yesterday. Heck, you can even argue that we are doing fine financially because the government has taken pity on us and has sent us a bunch of fat cheques so we can afford to pay our bills and feed our families.
But my question is this: what are we going to do when that money suddenly stops pouring in?
No, I can’t guarantee that having a college degree will help you get a good job or help you keep a roof over your head. But I can tell you this: when the uncertain future comes, a post-secondary education just may be the only chance we all have to keep our futures bright and healthy.