Students and teachers have spent this entire school year entirely online, making the year very odd and unlike anything anyone’s ever experienced before.
After a whole year being online, students finally have the option to return back to school to attend hybrid learning, meaning class sizes will be smaller, and classes will be longer.
Although all students can agree that having online schooling has become very repetitive and boring, there are many students who have chosen not to return to school and remain online for the rest of the school year.
In fact, the class with the lowest returning attendance are the seniors, even though these next few months will be their last months in high school ever.
Many students have become accustomed to the online classes, and have developed new routines that they feel will be disrupted if they return to school.
Whether it be with new hobbies or jobs, or even for health concerns, many students have chosen to stay home for the remainder of the semester.
Senior Horfanel Vivero is just one example of this, who states his own reasons for choosing to remain online for the duration of the semester.
“I choose not to go back to school because I like waking up last minute, wearing anything to class, and not having to worry about my appearance,” he said.
“Plus, my friends are not going back, and school wouldn’t be the same without them.”
Although Vivero has chosen to stay at home, every student will always appreciate the memories they made while being in school, and will prefer the way that school used to be. “I’m not a big fan of online learning, but at this point it is what it is,” Vivero said.
“It’s overwhelming, but until the school is ready to have us all back I will be staying online.”
There are many different reasons for students to decide to stay home, but there are also many different reasons for students to not want to continue with online classes.
Junior Madelyn Ford described her thought process when it came to the decision between hybrid and online classes.
“I chose to go back to school because I want to be able to see my teachers at least for part of the school year,” Ford said.
“I also think that after being at home for over a year I want to go back and by going back it’ll at least bring back a little piece of normal that I get to have.”
School may be returning for in-person sessions, but clearly, it still won’t feel the same as it would in past years. Ford described this feeling she had while making the choice.
“I feel a little saddened that school will not be completely normal but I’m still very grateful for the opportunity to even get to go back,” Ford said.
Additionally, many students find it difficult to concentrate at home without someone like a teacher to properly hold them accountable for remaining focused, and coming in for hybrid classes may be more beneficial for some, but not all students.
