Students Welcome Return to In-Person Learning, Though It Comes with Stress

Most students were happy to return to physical school, though earlier wake-ups, thoughts of Covid, and a heavier workload have led to stress. Photo: Taylor Scantlebury

By NATHALIE CAMACHO and TAYLOR SCANTLEBURY

For months we've heard the voices of politicians, teachers, and concerned parents on the topic of whether youth should go back to in-person school, but we haven't heard from the real stars of the show yet — the students!

Many hornets were happy to come back in-person since they missed face-to-face socialization and spending time with friends.

“It’s my senior year, and I want to make the best of it, so of course, I’m happy to be back,” said Victoria Mezheritser. “It’s been great to see my friends and make new ones after being isolated during Covid.”

Seniors in general expressed a lot of relief that their last year wouldn’t be spent behind a computer screen.

“Instead of sitting in one room all day and joining meetings online, it’s more fun going around the building and seeing my friends in person,” said senior Muhammad Sharjeel.

“Overall, I like this change,” senior Elijah Martins said. “I’d rather talk to classmates in person, whether in class about group work or in the hallways, rather than leave it strictly to the teacher’s discretion, such as being placed in breakout rooms.”

Many students view in-class sessions as an easier way to get classwork done, and being able to work with students on the same table rather than the same link can be beneficial towards teamwork skills.

“I feel good about coming back to school,” senior Kerene Mirand said. “When I'm at home, I get lazy, so going to school really gives me a chance to be more productive.”

Most students were glad to ditch remote learning.

“Online sessions often felt very repetitive and unengaging,” Mezheritser said. “I didn’t feel connected. Bonding over a screen was nearly impossible since nobody really participated.”

“I became way too lazy when we were remote,” senior Curtiss Lu said. “The only good thing about it was that we didn’t need to wake up early and take the bus or train to school. I just woke up 10-15 minutes before class started.”

However, many students expressed mixed emotions as the reality of the workload and Midwood’s crowded hallways became a source of stress.

“Re-entering school seemed like a nostalgic and exciting idea at first due to the long period of quarantine,” said junior Anastasiya Korovska. “But this excitement slowly faded under the overwhelming weight of assignments, exams, and the need to wake up way earlier in the mornings to commute.”

“I hate it,” said senior Ramona Sangster. “This place gives me anxiety. Suddenly being back around so many people, especially in the halls and doing presentations in front of a classroom again, it just felt overwhelming.”

Readapting to the schooling they received before the pandemic has been for many a difficult process. Some students tried to find the “light in the darkness.”

“I mean, yeah, we’re getting a lot of work, and we’re not used to it, but it’s getting better as we go,” junior Deborah Zeleny said. “I haven’t seen many friends in a while, and I was looking forward to seeing them again.”

There are several well-known cons to remote learning, but was there anything students now missed about attending classes virtually?

“Something I miss the most about online sessions is being able to do class from the comfort of my own bed,” junior Diana Russo said. “There’s no need for transport, no need to have issues with the MTA or traffic, and I was able to get those two extra hours of sleep that everyone desperately wants to have in the morning.”

“In remote learning, we had the opportunity to use the power of the internet,” senior Bolanle Orioke said. “Now we can't really do that type of thing anymore.”

Constantly having the internet at your fingertips can be helpful in navigating the world, but this also might have become a bad habit.

Senior Ashley Mombrun said, “I forget that I'm not supposed to be on my phone, so I would take out my phone immediately for notes, and my teacher would be like, no, you have to take out your notebook.”

A few hornets are still in virtual learning mode. “I’ve forgotten how to communicate with so many people at once,” said senior Jonathan Ulysse.

And the return from a year and a half of Zoom classes has produced lots of awkward moments. “It’s weird seeing or talking to kids you might have become friends with online without actually ever seeing them in real life,” Martins said.

Should there still be a remote learning option for those who want it? Many students thought it would be difficult to have all students on the same page.

“I feel like the remote option would be very hard to pull off because remote and in-person lessons are handled very differently,” senior Jonathan Persaud said. “There needs to be a set plan in place that would open up the option without diminishing lesson quality for the students.”

Dana Lee ‘22 said, “I do wish there was a remote option just because I thrived during remote. I don't think in-person is a fit for everyone.”

“I do see why many would want to continue learning at home,” Persaud said. “With the vaccine controversy and there being little social distancing in schools, it can be tough to stay relaxed.”

With students unsure whether the worst of Covid is finally behind us, and the mix of masks, social distancing, and crowded hallways triggering conflicting feelings, there is a bit of tension within the school walls.

“I really do wish things were more normal and relaxed,” said Orioke. “Sometimes I would walk around the hallways, and I would see people with a mask on, and I’d get confused. I'm like, ‘who are you’ when they say ‘hey,’ but I still respond with a ‘hey?’ I kind of wish things were more normal so that I could see everybody's faces and I could identify people more easily.”

But now that they’re back, students are able to appreciate the things they missed.

“The part I missed the most was the science annex, especially the skybridge,” said Sharjeel. “It was cool looking down and seeing all the traffic and people walking.”

Ulysse said, “I was actually excited to come back to school because I could finally communicate face-to-face with friends again. I think that's the part I missed the most.”

This transition wasn’t easy, but as time passes, students may find that there’s comfort in familiarity.

“All that matters is that we stay safe and enjoy our time back, especially for the seniors, since we missed a year and a half and are graduating,” said Saad Hussaini ‘22. “There will always be some problems with coming back to school during a pandemic, but as long as everyone plays their part in limiting the spread, we all should have an eventful school year.”

“As much as we miss waking up five minutes before class and the tense and awkwardly silent breakout rooms, it’s good to be back,” Martins said. “It’s like being back from vacation. As much as you loved it, it’s always good to be home.”