National Survey Finds 2021 Graduating Class Ready to Move on From Covid-disrupted Senior Year of High School

Pandemic disrupted much of their “typical” activities leaving the majority upset and angry at Covid, but still stoked for next chapter of their lives


AUSTIN, Texas, June 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a national poll of 500 high school seniors in the United States by online survey and research leader QuestionPro, Covid-19 disrupted much of what they love about school – sports, events, socializing and other aspects, leaving the majority of them upset and angry about the pandemic. Nonetheless, roughly two-thirds of them remain excited to begin the next phase in their lives.

The study found that Covid disrupted the “typical” senior year, making it harder to get good grades (15%), visit colleges (16%), and hang out with friends (16%). For some, it also eliminated time-honored traditions, like Senior Skip (6%) and Senior Prank (6%) days, proms (7%) and made it harder to get yearbook signatures (7%).

As a result, 65 percent of seniors reported being “upset” and 51 percent being “angry” at the impacts of Covid-19.

Despite those feelings, or perhaps because of them, 65 percent are ready to turn the page and report being excited by the next chapter in their lives, whatever it may be.

This summer seniors are looking forward to getting back to “normal” and most looking forward to:

  • hanging out in person with friends (35%)
  • working (21%)
  • spending time with family (18%)
  • road tripping (13%)
  • camping (6%)
  • going to concerts, sporting events and other forms of entertainment (7%)

“It’s not surprising that lingering impacts of Covid-19 disrupted the lives of this year’s graduating high school class, but as parents we should be aware of how this made them feel,” said Dan Fleetwood, President of Research & Insights at QuestionPro. “Giving them the space to hang with their friends and do their thing as they enjoy the summer break before moving on to the next chapter is probably the best graduation gift you can give.”

The survey of U.S. consumers was fielded June 16, 2021 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. The survey was conducted using technology and multi-method behavioral fraud detection to verify respondents, including 80+ different security variables which accomplish the following: detection and rejection of suspicious IP addresses; digital fingerprinting; Captcha bot detection; event streaming and analysis, copy paste detection and translation of text detection. Mouse movements on desktops were also tracked.

About QuestionPro
Founded in 2006, QuestionPro is a global provider of online survey and research services that help companies make better decisions through data. From free consumer accounts to robust enterprise-level research, we offer tools for the creation, distribution, and analysis of surveys. We also offer platforms for polling, mobile research and data visualization. Fortune 100 companies rely on us to help unlock insights about customers, employees and the marketplace. With offices in the US, Mexico, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and India, we offer customers 24-7 access to highly trained support specialists and engineers. More information is available at www.questionpro.com.

 

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