By Arden Nguyen
This has been an unprecedented and unconventional school year to say the least.
With classes transitioning fully online and activities being canceled or modified, all students were affected by the drastic changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. But one could argue that seniors felt the impact the most.
After all, the idea of spending the majority—if not all—of your final year of high school online isn’t exactly appealing. Not to mention the fact that major events like prom, sports games and performances were out of the question.
In some ways, this year proceeded normally for us seniors. We still stressed over college applications and had senioritis to some degree. However, other things were relatively new to us, like distance learning and a block schedule of classes.
For me, there were many positive aspects to distance learning. Instead of waking up early and having to rush out of the house every day, I got up 10 minutes before class started and didn’t have to leave my room.
I liked having a block schedule because school ended after only a few hours and I had the rest of the day to myself. It also granted me more time to manage my homework assignments because I had an extra day before I attended my classes again.
Surprisingly, I was more alert in class at home than I would have been in person. This was because the school day was a lot shorter and I was getting more sleep at night. In previous years, it wasn’t uncommon for me to fall asleep in class due to boredom or being tired from staying up late. But throughout this year, I can only remember dozing off a handful of times.
In addition, not attending school in person was better for my social anxiety. I was a lot less nervous when participating from the comfort of my own room and no longer felt as self-conscious or judged as I usually do in the presence of all my peers. Keeping my camera off and using the chat to type out answers also took the pressure off of participating.
However, distance learning had its negatives as well. Perhaps the worst part was not being able to see my friends. For the sake of safety, we did not hang out and mainly communicated with each other through social media. Still, I missed them beyond belief and often felt lonely and isolated.
I also wanted to get acquainted with my new classmates and teachers, but this was tricky considering we were not physically together in a classroom setting. Our virtual interactions were centered almost entirely around academics, whereas in a classroom, we would be able to chat about other topics and get to know one another on a more personal level. What little chances we had to work collaboratively with other students came in the form of breakout rooms, which were often awkward and quiet.
Zoom fatigue was yet another hurdle of distance learning. Staring at a bright screen for several hours straight strained my eyes and I often had to blink rapidly or look away. Furthermore, being glued to one spot for long periods of time made me feel restless.
I found that going to school in person two days a week as a hybrid student was somewhat helpful. Although I was initially hesitant, I decided to go because I missed seeing the campus and wanted to take advantage of opportunities like conducting labs in my science class.
Not many students came back, but I felt a sense of camaraderie with those that did and looked forward to seeing them each week. I was also eventually able to meet all of my teachers in person.
I’ll admit, rolling out of bed at 6:30 in the morning on Thursdays for zero period Baron Banner was brutal, but it reminded me of getting up early every day last year. Even if I was glad that it wasn’t a daily occurrence anymore, experiencing it once a week gave me a sense of normalcy.
On Fridays after school, I worked on my club’s garden with a couple of other members. Since I rarely left the house, the two hours I spent there were chances to get some fresh air and make new friends.
Overall, distance learning and the block schedule were much better for my academic life and mental health than a traditional, in-person schedule would have been. When I think about what school was like before the pandemic, I can hardly believe that I got through six or seven classes a day and finished homework for each one in a single night.
As the year comes to a close, I feel a mix of emotions. I’m definitely eager to graduate and move on to college. Yet at the same time, I’m anxious about the future and sad because some of my friends will be moving away.
High school didn’t turn out the way I expected, but I don’t mean to say that it was an entirely disappointing or terrible experience. Though there were certainly some difficult times, I made countless wonderful memories too. I’ll always be grateful for the people I’ve met and the lessons I’ve learned in these four years.
I remember that on the last day of my freshman year, my English teacher had told the class that we were a fourth of the way done with high school and that the remaining three years would fly by before we knew it. I was skeptical. Three years? It sounded like an eternity. Yet, when I look back now, it really does seem like everything passed in the blink of an eye.
With only a day to go before graduation, I want to wish all my fellow seniors congratulations and good luck on the next chapter of your lives!
