To Zoom or Not to Zoom: School in the Time of COVID

All across the globe, conversations are blossoming regarding whether students should return to school with the spread of Coronavirus increasing. However, ironically, students are often left out of the conversation.

Every school district is using a different approach to learning this upcoming school year. Some schools are doing full remote learning where students will learn virtually and attend class over zoom. Other schools are doing hybrid learning where students will spend time both in school and virtually. While some districts are having all students attend school in person. Many students are opting out of all three approaches and attending school online through homeschool-like options. Ultimately, this school year is going to be like no other as each district and family chart their own course.

After talking to other students, it is clear there are still the regular back-to-school nerves, but there is a level of apprehension and fear that is unique to this school year. Personally, I am very nervous about my junior year. It is considered the hardest year of high school, and teachers especially push students in their third year. However, now there is the added element of doing full remote learning and being on my own part of the time. There is a new responsibility that comes with this school year that has not been there in the past, including holding myself accountable and being disciplined.

I spoke to some freshmen in college, and many are scared that they are going to miss out on the typical college experience and have a harder time making friends with limited social events. Many of the students I talked to have mixed feelings towards this school year. There are some pros of going back to school whether it be online or in-person, such as seeing classmates and having something productive to do. However, the cons may outweigh the pros. Adjusting to a new way of learning and new technology is overwhelming for some students. Also, safety is an obvious concern especially for students with high-risk family members. The most prevalent concern among high schoolers is the toll online school will have on their mental health.

Last year, students did reasonably well adjusting to the sudden shift of learning at home, but many could get by doing the bare minimum. For example, my school was pass/fail and if you passed you automatically had a 4.0 GPA for that quarter. Unfortunately, though, passing a class does not correlate to learning. One college freshman that is starting at Ohio State University this fall said he is worried he will be behind because in his last quarter of high school he felt like he did not learn very well.

What are you most excited or nervous about for the upcoming school year? Let us know how you feel in the comments.