Back to in-person learning: the good, the bad, the ugly
Indigo Craane, Staff Writer
For Samo students, the transition from distance learning to in-person school has elicited mixed emotions. Some are thrilled to be back on campus with their teachers and classmates, while others are understandably experiencing some difficulty adjusting to their new post-pandemic routines.
The transition back to in-person school has been difficult for students who were used to their lifestyle in distance learning when waking up late and logging onto Zoom was an everyday option. More so, the five day grace period—that encouraged the abundance of missing assignments and procrastination—has only maladjusted how they approach schoolwork now that they’re back on campus.
“It was somewhat hard adjusting from the lax style at home that became a routine during distance learning. Usually, I’m a proactive student but distance learning had sapped a lot of motivation to do well during school,” Matthew Liberman (’23) said.
Coming into the new school year, teachers didn’t care to ease their students into the regular workload of in-person learning; in a way, teachers have made their classes more rigorous this year in an effort to regain what was lost over Zoom. An example of this is the new weighing system of math and science courses. Now, assessments weigh 80% and assignments weigh 20%. Perhaps it is to motivate students to push forward, but it has proven to be challenging for most.
On the other hand though, it is a relief to be back on campus for the social aspect of school. For half of the students at Samo, this school year is their first chance to engage in the traditional high school experience. Interactivity has improved how students have viewed coming to school each day and has even benefited their education.
“I’m so glad to be back in person. The isolation of distance learning was so intense for me, especially since I was a freshman last year. Coming back on campus has opened up so many opportunities, especially with meeting new people,” Taylor Witt (’24) said.
So where do students go from here? How do they orient themselves in a high school environment shaken from the pandemic? It is clear that the last year of COVID-19 has reshaped what high school will be like and undeniably will linger with us for a long time— But that’s okay. Just by coming back in-person, despite the difficulty of transitioning, school has opened up the social lives of many Samo students. It has given a range of opportunities that they were unable to have last year. It is certain that we will never know the coveted high school experience, but we can look forward to creating our own post-pandemic version.
Indigo Craane / The Samohi