While completing my clinical in the ICU this semester, I have seen more COVID patients than I have ever seen before. While I am not allowed in the rooms since I’m a student, it has been very eye-opening to see these critically ill patients up close and personal and see first-hand the pandemic’s effect on everyday people, and not just reading it in the news.

The Daily Gamecock had a chance to sit down with some student artists to reflect on when they first started trying to be seriously involved in the arts, and the advice they offered touches on great ways to start off in the musical and visual arts here in Columbia.

Your 20s are the years of your life where you are meant to see new places, try new things and take the time to discover who you are or could be. Take a gap year to travel, volunteer, get a part-time job or discover new hobbies. 

COVID-19 has drastically changed the workforce by normalizing remote work and technology use in the workplace. Graduates said they feel like USC has prepared them for their future careers in the wake of the pandemic, but USC has not prepared them enough for the increased flexibility of the workplace post-pandemic.