While challenging, completing a degree through online learning has been another experience to strengthen the Class of 2020.
Emily Means will receive a bachelor's degree in human development and family studies at Texas Tech University. Her reflections of her final college semester is the third in a series of senior perspectives, which will appear each Monday and Thursday through the month of May at today.ttu.edu.
Although my final semester at Texas Tech University did not end how I anticipated, the transition to online learning has allowed me to see the strength of the Red Raider bond.
Texas Tech is a family, and this process has only solidified that definition for me. Together, we are working with our faculty and classmates to help each other through this time. My professors have reached out to me to ensure that not only am I comprehending course material, but that I am also emotionally coping with everything going on outside of the classroom.
Online learning is difficult, but the transition has taught me a valuable lesson in adaptability, something I will carry with me as I begin law school this fall. This experience shows me that you may not have control over the circumstances that arise in your life, but you do have control over how you react and grow from them. It also has taught me that things you were counting on and looking forward to can be gone in the blink of an eye, so truly being present and cherishing all of the time I have with my friends and family needs to be a priority.
I will be the first to admit I was upset when I first found out about a virtual May 2020 commencement; I have worked extremely hard in my undergraduate career and will graduate Summa Cum Laude with Honors from the Honors College. It is bitterly disappointing not to be able to celebrate that accomplishment in the manner I was so eagerly anticipating. My entire family graduated from Texas Tech and May 16th was to be the final commencement for our family.
That being said, I understand the importance of keeping our Red Raider network safe, and not having a chance to walk across a stage does not diminish the weight that my degree will hold. I am so proud to be a Texas Tech Red Raider, and I cannot thank Lubbock, Texas enough for allowing me to have the best four years of my life. Long Live the Matadors!
