The high school class of 2020 keeps chugging along — in spite of the pandemic. Instead of prom, senior pranks and graduation, they finished their senior year on a computer. For those that went on to college this fall, they became the first freshman class to try it out amid a pandemic.

This fall, WBEZ has been following four Illinois freshmen — two on campus and two learning from home. College hasn’t been anything like they expected. They’re wearing masks, learning online and navigating home responsibilities while tackling a full course load. Listen to the audio story to hear how they’ve stuck it out and managed to make it work.

Adriana Cardona-Maguigad covers education for WBEZ. Follow her on Twitter @WBEZeducation and @AdrianaCardMag.