To the Amazing Class of 2020:

As your freshman year of college is about to begin, whether it be online, in person, or somewhere in between, we at College Expert want to say farewell. But this doesn’t mean our journey is ending. We are your college consultants for life, and that didn’t stop suddenly when you made your final college decision. Navigating the first steps as a freshman can be an exhilarating whirlwind of anxiety and adventure. And that is in a normal year.

You graduated high school and are starting college in a history-defining year, and one thing rings very true: you have a role in all of this. Colleges need world-changers like you, especially now. Some thoughts to keep in mind:

• Your whole freshman class is in this together. If you don’t have an orientation now or a normal start to your freshman year, just think about how amazing and how cathartic it will be when you all finally come together in person. Everyone around you will be sharing that experience. So if the best or only option is to take your Fall classes online, it’s going to be OK. Most of you have become accustomed to the world of online learning, and hopefully, it will be a small part of your college learning experience. But just think when you and your college classmates get to be in class together for the first time. It’s going to be EPIC.

• This experience will make for a great story to tell your future employers, kids, spouses, etc. It will be a bonding moment for everyone in your generation, for decades to come; you will always be able to talk about what your life was like leaving high school and entering college during a pandemic. When your grandparents talk about walking uphill to school both ways in a snowstorm, you may be able to top their stories! More importantly, you will develop resilience and emerge stronger as you learn to adapt and adjust to uncomfortable and challenging experiences.

• This is an opportunity to be creative in terms of how you socialize with each other, network, and learn. Experiment with what works best for you, think outside of the box, and you may learn you have skills or talents you never realized you had. What do Dell, Dropbox, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Reddit, and Snapchat have in common? College students started all of these. One of you could be the founder of the next big idea for revolutionizing communication, business, saving our planet, and maybe even keeping us safer when a pandemic strikes.

This probably was not the senior year or the summer that you envisioned. But remember, we are here for support and there are others ready to support you as well. If you find that you are experiencing tough emotions during these trying times, don’t forget to ask for help. If any class can rise to this unique occasion and give us all hope, it’s this one. We have never been as proud as college consultants. So instead of waving farewell, please let us know if you need anything during these uncertain times. We have your back. You did this and you got this!

Be well,
Ryan Luse & The College Expert Team

Here is the link to a higher resolution image of our Class of 2020 Poster than what is shown on this blog : College Expert Class of 2020 Poster  It turned out awesome!