Photo courtesy of Ellen Lue

Bonnie Wong is a contempo graduate from the Academy of Southern California and an aspiring journalist who began her journey as an introverted personality at a community college and grew into a more social and confident person while pursuing her bookish and professional goals.

Photo courtesy of Ellen Lue

Bonnie Wong is a recent graduate from the University of Southern California and an aspiring announcer who began her journey as an introverted personality at a community college and grew into a more than social and confident person while pursuing her academic and professional person goals.

Bonnie Wong
June 1, 2020

Recently, I graduated from higher listening to the University of Southern California's Official Fight Song from the comfort of my living room sofa.

I used to pride myself as being a stay-at-dwelling type of girl. Later on I graduated high school, I spent my kickoff year at East Los Angeles Higher, a community college only three blocks away from my childhood domicile, where I enjoyed the privilege of existence able to walk back and forth betwixt classes. Every bit a sophomore, I transferred to USC, and commuted my outset year at that place, waking up at 5 every morning to hitch a ride with my parents to Spousal relationship Station in downtown L.A.

It wasn't until my inferior year that I had a true taste of the college feel living near campus with my peers. Finally, I had the freedom to join clubs, nourish events and have spontaneous dinners with friends considering I wasn't scrambling to take the autobus home before dusk.

Each twelvemonth of my college career looked very different. Just my last two years were especially memorable considering I was able to experience more of college life.

When the coronavirus pandemic forced usa to pack up our textbooks and quickly move our lives back home, I mourned the loss of my last semester as a college senior. I had envisioned celebrating all of my academic achievements in-person, taking graduation photos in front of our schoolhouse landmarks and tearfully bidding the last days of school goodbye with my best friends.

For those of the states who have the privilege of living, working and studying on our college campuses, student life has enhanced our collective higher experience. College simply isn't the same from backside laptop screens and video chat calls.

This semester, USC announced a three.5% tuition hike amid the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the undergraduate tuition toll for the 2020-2021 academic year to $57,256. While USC does not consider an applicant'southward ability to pay in its admission procedure and does offer one of the largest fiscal help packages in the U.Southward., the cost can notwithstanding affect students.

For those who don't receive financial help, or non enough to comprehend the mandatory expenses of their dream college, the price tag of attending a higher institution tin be a major deterrent.

With the pandemic, it is uncertain if schools will hold in-person classes in the fall. Although students can still receive a great teaching from the same professors, college life won't exist the same without community, especially for the toll they're beingness asked to pay.

Additionally, many don't have the luxury of even spending time on campus. For my fellow classmates who work multiple jobs, have care of family unit members or have responsibilities elsewhere, higher can exist a struggle to even make information technology to lecture on time.

I was lucky to be able to be involved while in college. My time at USC was so memorable considering of my experiences there. From opening my mailbox to observe a personalized acceptance letter packaged in primal and gilt to eating waffles in the dining hall with the letters U, S and C stamped in the batter, a big role of the price was in the invaluable personal feel.

It's the late nighttime conversations over cups of boba tea, screaming our school's chants at the pinnacle of our lungs or blowing off steam later class with my young man journalism majors over some especially harsh edits a professor gave the states that will exist the things I miss most about college.

I used to call back that I didn't need to be around my peers to have a good time. Merely then I experienced the joy of being able to walk aslope people at a similar stage of life equally me. Bonded by similar dreams and fears and sharing common experiences together, I am a bigger laic in the value of the higher customs.

Although the novel coronavirus has encumbered me with then much doubt, it has also revealed to me just how much I need human connection in ways I did non before. A big role of my time at USC was spent with my friends and those memories will stick with me more than any journalism story I've pitched or letter of the alphabet grade I've received in a form.

I volition never take it for granted over again.

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Bonnie Wong is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California and a fellow member of EdSource's California Pupil Journalism Corps.

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