Seeing COVID-19 from a Student's Perspective: Part 4
Summer is in full-swing! As kids await news on the fate of their fall semesters, we caught up with Adya, a high school student who is keeping up with academics over the summer. While she misses face-to-face interaction with her friends, she is skeptical about going back to in-person classes in the fall due to rising coronavirus cases.
Now that the school year has come and gone, what would you say was your biggest challenge while distance learning?
My biggest challenge while social distancing was keeping up with all my classes. Multiple teachers chose different channels of communication and keeping up with every website, every little assignment, and meetings was a hassle. I had to keep up with messages from Email, Powerschool, OneNote, Teams, Flipgrid and Welnet. I was constantly anxious about missing something or forgetting to turn an assignment in on time. My history teacher made it mandatory to answer her questions on Teams, which almost always slipped my mind.
Looking back, what could have teachers done to make distance learning easier?
Looking back, I think that teachers could have decided on keeping only one or two channels of communication. Using only email and Teams to communicate would have made my life easier.
How do you plan to keep up with academics over the summer?
I plan to keep up with academics over the summer by taking online courses. I am currently in the midst of completing a Spanish 2 course for credit, which means that I will be able to move onto Spanish 3 in the fall. Likewise, I’ve been exploring Edx and Coursera. These websites have scores of free and engaging courses from top professors at acclaimed universities. I also find books and podcasts an entertaining way to learn something new. My favorite podcast is Reply All, a podcast about the internet. The hosts PJ Voght and Alex Goldman pursue any interesting story. They have befriended a scammer, investigated how far a cell phone could be hacked, and solved a mysterious case of eerie phone calls.
Has the pandemic changed your summer plans at all?
Planning months in advance is not something I tend to do, so when the virus hit in March, I didn’t have detailed plans for the summer. I knew I wanted to take Spanish 2 online and start to learn how to drive, both of which are still possible amid the current situation. There were a few summer camps that I was interested in, all of which fell through. Moreover, classic summer activities are no longer possible. Beaches are closed, friends must be 6 feet away, and vacations are off limits.
How have you been staying in contact with your friends from school?
Staying in contact with friends is not one of my strong suites. Back in the beginning of quarantine, when everyone obsessed over Tiger King and working out, I made it a priority to reach out to my friends. FaceTime mimicked face to face conversation. However, as the months progressed, the introvert inside me emerged. Nowadays, I spend my time alone or with family. A few texts are exchanged from time to time, but I truly am social distancing.
What do you think about going back to school in person in the fall?
Personally, I am skeptical schools will reopen in September. Recent reopening efforts have coincided with a surge in coronavirus cases. The USA hit a new record high of COVID-19 cases on July 2nd. While other countries declare themselves coronavirus free, Americans struggle with the concept of face masks. However, whenever schools do reopen, I worry about the transition back to everyday life. After 6 months of sleeping nine hours a day, living in the constant state of sleep deprivation high school brings will take some getting used to. In addition, I have been living in big t-shirts and sweatpants for half a year. Wearing jeans to school seems unfathomable. On a more serious note, I am concerned about contracting the coronavirus. The news is flooded with tragic stories of battles against the virus and I know COVID-19 is not something I want to get. I hope that our schools will have efficient distancing and hygiene measures in place once school reopens.
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