It’s no secret that students and teachers want normal school back. When u could walk around maskless and under six feet of distance. Sports, dances, and clubs weren’t restricted and the competition over parking was a constant complaint between students and staff. The sad truth is it probably won’t go back to what we remember as normal this school year. While it is scheduled that we will be back on campus full time in January with COVID-19 regulations of course, that may be canceled again due to the rising cases of COVID. Despite that online learning has its perks.

First and foremost, the school day has been cut back by about two hours and the start time is later in the morning; so the school day itself is way shorter which is good for those of us who have jobs. It gives students time to work, complete schoolwork, and have personal time and for students who don’t have jobs, it gives them more time for sports and other after school activities.

However online school itself is boring. Being taught over zoom is hard enough for the students but teachers have it worse. They had to learn how to teach online in a rush which is a whole new concept of teaching for them.  I know they try their hardest to motivate their students but it’s hard to motivate a class of black muted screens where maybe two or three students actually conversate with them.  And if their internet goes out the whole class goes out too and not let us forget the zoom bombings at the beginning of the year.

But with online learning school seems to be easier. The criteria may be the same but the school process seems to be smoother. Like you, wakeup five mins before 8:00 am and roll over in your bed in your PJs, and join the zoom call. You can snack and use the bathroom as you please without a worry. Plus, as long as you have Wi-Fi, you can zoom anywhere. 

While online school is hard for all students, upperclassmen, and freshmen have it worse because we are missing once in a lifetime activities. Freshmen are missing out on the real high school experience. They still haven’t been to a school football game or their first homecoming. I’m sure that they will get to have those opportunities eventually because I don’t think that COVID will outlast their high school years, but it’s all been put off for them. Juniors are missing their junior prom and seniors are missing the senior ball.  But most of all it’s going to be hard if seniors have to miss graduation. I have sympathy for the class of 2019 for missing their graduation but at least they got most of their seniors. Class of 2021, may miss all of it. But we can only hope it will be gone sooner than later. We as students and teachers just have to focus on being positive because being negative only makes this worse.