'We didn’t know what to expect': Has college changed since Covid?

'This is my first day at UL and it’s my first day of fourth year. It’s been a very strange one'

If I was given the option of sitting my Leaving Certificate again or driving behind a slurry truck for the rest of my life, I’d grab my car keys. The tears, stress, and learning how to write an insurance letter in French are all part of the magic of State exams I never want to revisit. But when compared to the pandemic experience of secondary and third-level students since March 2020, I wouldn’t want to swap places.

On top of standard academic worries, they’ve also had to contend with remote learning and the fracturing of friend groups at a time when friendships are everything. Making the transition to third level is a rite of passage that means more freedom and discovery. But having to negotiate these years post the Me Too movement, cancel culture, and unending social media surveillance, I wondered if the allure of college life is still all it’s cracked up to be.