An In-Depth on School During the Pandemic

I had always looked forward to being a high school senior. To feel at the top of the world and to actually enjoy my last year as a kid. However, the Corona Virus Pandemic had different plans in mind for the classes of 2020 and 2021. With the reopening of schools for the Fall 2020 school year many schools had to adjust their ways in order to be able to operate safely and as a result, the Hybrid school system was created. 

With this, Harborfields High School was split into two separate cohorts based on last name. A-L last names would come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays while M-Z last names would come in on Wednesdays and Fridays (Mondays would alternate). When I found this out I originally was very upset, I am not ashamed to say that a few tears were shed that day. This was primarily due to my last name preventing me from having school with the majority of my friends. However, after several months of isolation, I wasn’t going to give up my chance at re-entering the human world, so despite my concerns, I signed up for hybrid school.

Hybrid was okay. I didn’t mind going to school too much besides the extra effort towards taking the necessary precautions to keep myself covid-safe. I had always confronted school with a sense of disdain and this was no different. However, throughout the fall semester, I quickly started to prefer the online portion of our hybrid model rather than the in-school portion. Through a poll on my Instagram story, I learned the perspective of some of my classmates. Senior, Mia Zuccoli says, “Online school allows us to do school in the comfort of our own homes without the fear and stress of possibly catching covid.” 

By the end of the second quarter, I made the decision to switch to full virtual. Immediately, I felt as though I had a little more control over my life. To start, the sleep! Sleep is something not to be taken for granted, especially as a student. Being home for school means I didn’t have to wake up at the usual 6:30 am in order to get ready and make it to school on time. Being online allowed me to wake up a whole hour later and this extra hour has seriously improved my mental health as well as my overall mood during school since I’m no longer as tired as I used to be (however, as a teenager I still am always tired). 

Secondly, as ironic as it may sound, when I switched to full virtual I actually was able to see my friends more than before. My friends and I actually have a lot of the same classes but we’re just separated by cohorts. Therefore, being at home every day I was able to see my friends that I wouldn’t usually be able to see since I would be in person while they were at home (albeit I’m seeing them through a computer screen– but it’s still nice to see their faces). 

Lastly, the free periods are amazing. I am no longer restricted to what my school has to offer during free periods. There are a lot of freedoms that come with being home for school that had never crossed my mind before. I can eat whenever I get hungry and I can make whatever I want. So no longer am I stuck with a soggy sandwich that has been sitting in my lunch box all day. Now I have the opportunity to make myself some high-quality meals during my lunch break. The amount of mac and cheese and avocado toast I have consumed is quite impressive if I do say so myself. Secondly, if I’m tired throughout the day I can simply just take a nap. Never before has the concept of a nap been so easily obtainable. Lastly, I can do my homework during the day. This is something I did tend to do while I was in school, but since there are no distractions at home like there are in a school, it’s much easier to complete my work and usually, this allows me to have the rest of the night free to spend time doing things I want to do–which I have never been able to say before during the school year.

However, this isn’t all to say that online school has been a completely blissful experience. As mentioned above, I decided to do a poll on my Instagram story to see the opinions of other students. Out of the 84 people who participated, 46 said they thought online school was less stressful, with the remaining 38 people claiming that in-person was. The results were almost 50/50 with valid points on both sides. There is definitely a layer of disconnect from being at home. It’s a lot more difficult to have a connection to teachers as well as other students. Not to mention, it can be very difficult to learn through a screen, whereas with in-person it is a more hands-on experience that a lot of students benefit from. Senior, Avery LaMonica says, “Actually being in school forces me to focus more and it’s a lot easier to ask questions to the teachers.” A handful of other students shared a similar sentiment, senior Ellie Lockwood expressed how going to school allows her to participate more which helps her to gain a better grasp on the material.

Additionally, while being at home may benefit some people’s mental health, other students experience the opposite. A lot of students mentioned how being online every day caused each day to feel exactly the same which can lead to less motivation, an increase in anxiety, and even depression. Senior Sophia DiPrima says, “Online school has been a lot easier, but I find that I get more tired and less motivated when I’m not in a school environment.” On the other hand, student Madisen Purslow says, “With online school, I don’t get as anxious when I socialize or when I present during class.”

This pandemic has led to a lot of self-reflection. While the opinions of online school vary depending on the person, I am very proud of every student this year for what we have accomplished so far. School, in general, can be rough, but school during a pandemic is no easy feat– hopefully, with vaccines coming out, we will have a sense of normalcy back in the upcoming future!