I Did Not Want to Play Third Singles Again My Senior Year in High School
current events conversation
What Students Are Saying About What It's Like to Be Back in School
Many teenagers are back in school for the first time since March 2020. Whether they're happy to be there or not, most agree nothing feels "normal."
Welcome to the first edition of Current Events Conversation for the 2021-2022 school year. Every Thursday we editors round up some of the best teenage comments posted to our recent writing prompts, both to give those students and their schools a shout-out and to offer a snapshot of what young people around the country — and, often, around the world — are thinking about issues in the news.
Usually we choose three different prompts, but sometimes one question garners so much interesting response that we focus a whole edition just on a single conversation. That's what happened this week when we asked, "What's It Like to Be Back in School?" Boy did our audience have thoughts.
For many, it is the first time they have been back in a classroom since March 2020. Some are thrilled to be with their peers and teachers again, while others have had a hard time adjusting. But most agreed that going back to school in an ongoing pandemic feels "far from normal." As one disoriented student in North Carolina wrote, after 18 months in the same light-blue hoodie, the first day back "honestly felt like a field trip."
If you would like to see your comment featured in a future roundup, just post a response to any of our writing prompts, whether our Student Opinion questions or our Picture Prompts, and follow these tips:
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Don't worry that you have to submit a perfectly polished essay; instead, we want to hear your honest thoughts expressed in your unique voice.
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Share personal stories related to the prompt that include relevant and compelling details.
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State an opinion that's supported by strong evidence or reason, either from the article you read or your own experiences.
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Offer a unique take or perspective on the topic that you don't see others talking about.
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Start a conversation with other students by hitting the "reply" button. Ask questions, share connections or add onto what they said.
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Follow The Times commenting standards and be thoughtful about how your response might be read by others.
Thank you to all the teenagers from around the world who got this year off to a strong start — we heard from students in Sacramento, Calif.; Korea; John T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington, N.C., and many more places. Keep reading to see what they had to say.
Please note: All student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.
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Many students told us they're already stressed.
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My school started in mid-August. I am burned out. My academic classes are extremely hard and my teachers did not give a single moment to breathe, especially coming out of a whole year-and-a-half of online school. I'm now a junior, and the friends I made in person as a freshman are now a bit different. We are still a group but it is clear that everyone is more stressed, serious, and unhappy than before the pandemic.
I come home everyday either with a headache from the wildfire smoke/heat or extreme exhaustion from being a "social" introvert. I'm expected by parents to work with 200% motivation and focus as soon as I come home, and it just isn't possible with how tired I am. I even play school sports every single day.
Though school seemed like it would be a positive breath of fresh air on the first day, my opinion has certainly changed, and I miss being stress free online. I'm grateful that I had a good online experience and that I am even able to go to school this year — others have it worse. But I'm unhappier than ever.
— T, California
School was never my biggest struggle, good grades were a standard for me, and I worked hard in everything. Anxiety and panic wasn't part of my daily routine and to be honest I didn't understand why it was so hard for some people to focus or talk to others at school.
Just eighteen months later, I have lost all capacity to sit in a classroom and learn. Homework and assignments feel like the hardest task and last thing I ever want to do. Random events set off this panicky feeling that triggers me to so easily feel overwhelmed and helpless.
Overall I look at Pre-COVID me and see a stranger: I don't know her.
— Haydon, Glenbard West High School
After being online for my whole freshman year it was honestly kind of scary going into high school for the first time. I never have set foot on the campus before the first day so I had no clue where my classes were or anything about the teachers. I ended up figuring it out pretty fast but it was still pretty scary.
— Lexi, Sacramento
The process before returning to school this year felt nothing but normal. Trying to hangout with friends as much as possible while summer wraps up, completing summer homework assignments last minute, purchasing unneeded school supplies for the fun of it, buying new "school clothes," etc. That feeling of normalcy led me to believe that this school year would be much more normal as well, at least compared to my sophomore year on Zoom.
But, in all honesty, this year (to me) is far from normal, and often, I miss my time on Zoom. This year, I have already dropped an honors class, homework takes me far too long to complete, my test-taking skills are beyond poor, and overall, it's a struggle. While I can't speak for others, my best guess is that I am not the only one in this situation. Based off of just people I know, anxiety levels are through the roof …
With all the negatives I am writing about, it would be unfair to not mention the positives: easy access to resources, social interaction, a teacher in front of us, high school sports, etc. I truly do appreciate the fact that we are in school because at one point, us students need to remember how a normal school year feels. But, my life, as well as several others, currently consists of stress, followed by more stress. The only cure is adjustment, which will take time. But, I am confident we can all get there one step at a time.
— Macey, Glenbard West High School, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
They are trying to rebuild both academic and social skills.
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School almost felt optional last year due to there being zooms, less homework, and multiple upon multiple resources to use during tests …
This year though has felt so fast paced and a part of me feels unprepared. Thankfully I am more motivated than last year, but the work just feels so much harder this year. This might be just cause of junior year, but I am really struggling with the content. Definitely the hardest thing about going back is test taking. I completely forgot how to take tests and I've been really struggling.
— Tony, Glen Ellyn, Ill .
The situation of the quick change to in-person is tough for everyone involved, teachers are forced to rush through lessons in an effort to make up for the previous year while students have their education and mental health being pushed as we attempt to complete nearly two years of content in one.
This challenge of education does not even mention the other aspects of in-person school like socializing, clubs, and sports. Nearly every school sport requires multiple hours on many days of the school week, so to juggle that with academics, friends, and other extracurriculars can be draining. Overall, this quick switch to heavy in-person learning is an exhausting situation for anyone involved.
— Gia, Sacramento
Since coming back to school I find it much harder to talk and hold conversations with other people and feel that interacting with people in general is much harder because most of us have not had the opportunity to meet new people, start conversations and make new friends in over a year and am having a hard time this year because of this.
— CS, California
For me, the change from staying in all day and not actually having much interaction with my peers to seeing around 2,000 kids a day was very stressful. I am still trying to get used to it along with the physical and emotional toll it takes on students …One thing I wish my school would have done is figured out a way to ease us back in instead of throwing us in the deep end.
I am however enjoying the amount of engagement that I get in my classes. Sometimes in Zooms the teachers wouldn't even require us to have our cameras on and now we are getting called on in class and we actually get to join discussions. I feel like I am learning more this way because my mind doesn't wander as much as it did online. It is taking more time to get used to than I anticipated but I think in person learning is going to be a good thing overall.
— Ava, Rio Americano High School
Not only is this my first time going to school in a year and a half, I transferred to a new school for my senior year. It has been okay, the worst part about going back is the work. Not that we have that much more than last year but getting back to staying organized has been difficult. Not everything is laid out on a computer screen in front of me anymore …This is my last year in school, I'm just here to graduate and start my future.
— Jackie, Hanover Horton High School
I am discovering the effects left by distance learning that are causing struggle in my classes this year. Teachers are expecting us to be at the same level as previous years students but it is difficult in AP classes to keep up when last year's classes did not fully get through curriculum. I'm having to reteach myself how to study, take notes, and keep focus for hour long class periods. There is a lot of excitement though about going back to school. It is one step closer to feeling normal again and we are able to socialize with friends. Although I am struggling to be my same academic self before the pandemic and I excited to feel like I am learning again.
— Athena, Sacramento, Calif.
Some are missing an at-home schedule.
I miss my cat every day. I want to get up and use the bathroom without asking. I miss snacking whenever I want. And it's so difficult sitting in class with my jeans on and needing to scratch that itch on my foot. By my 2nd class I want to go home. This is the time that I usually walk my dog, and cuddle with my cat, and eat a whole bag of Doritos.
I like being back but it is just so draining after being out of practice for so long.
— Dylan, Hoggard High School, Wilmington, N.C .
Coping with the new circumstances of "normalcy" is more challenging. Like Ashley Ko expresses in her poetry, my desire to stay in bed and have the flexibility to eat or sleep whenever I want grows as school class time passes. Oh, how I long for that.
— Darli, Alliance PBS-HSA
Some other thoughts I had during my first week of school were: Oh my gosh I have no idea where I'm going, I am so hungry it's not even funny, I miss doing all of my work while listening to music, Why on earth are these classes so long? Why is the teacher still talking?, Ugh it's way too cold, I want my blanket, I hope my brother is doing okay. I wish I could check in on him.
Remote learning has really changed how I approach school and it made going back to school fully in person really difficult.
— Ava, Hoggard High School, Wilmington, N.C .
But others are glad to be back in a classroom.
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I am so glad to be back in school. Of course, the looming threat of Covid can be nerve-wracking, especially with the occasional student refusing to wear a mask correctly, but, since I am vaccinated, the mental relief of learning in person again somewhat outweighs this fear for me.
It is obviously a huge improvement academically; I already feel more motivated and focused on the various tasks before me, (AP classes, college applications, extracurriculars, the SAT …) However I am also finding myself overall happier and more excited about day-to-day life now that I have somewhere to get up and go every day. Even the things I once loathed about high school have become things I can almost glamorize as part of the "high school experience." Stressful attempts to calculate whether you have time to go to your locker before your next class, gross bathrooms that are chronically out of paper towels, a kid wearing a tail; where else can you get that? I feel like a college freshman in a coming of age movie who moves to New York for art school and just saw a rat for the first time.
I agree that it feels both "monumental" and "oh so normal" all at once. Maybe this is because it does feel like a drastic change, but a change like having a weight lifted off my shoulders, allowing me to fall back into my normal day-to-day life.
— GraceAnn, California
I am now starting my fourth week of school and let me tell you I am glad to be back in person. All of my Freshman year I was online only coming into school for mid term exams and finally exams. So now starting my Sophomore year has been much better being fully in person. I'm extremely glad my school hasn't gone back to online because that means zoom calls and what seems like endless google docs of work.
One thing I missed from school that I hadn't got to experience in over a year was waking up early to a cool Fall morning, seeing the dew on the grass and smelling the amazing scents of fall. I also missed counting down the hours before getting out on Friday to hang out with friends and ride my bike. The only downside with being back in school is having to wear mask. But in all being back in person has helped me be more grateful for the school I have.
— Campbell, Hoggard High School
Before this pandemic, waking up and sitting through boring classes was dreadful and felt like there was nothing I would want to do less. However, now I come to my classes excited. I am excited that teachers see me in person and can connect my name to my face. I am excited that I get to see my friends everyday. I am excited that I am picking up the material a lot easier than last year. I am excited that I get to go to football games. Most importantly, I am excited that I get one last "normal" year before I go to college and start a brand new chapter of my life.
— Kendal, Sacramento
For me, the most profound differences of last year were being in classes where the teacher was the only one who talked. Even though we always had the ability to unmute ourselves to answer a question or make a comment, let's face it: it was a lot easier to avoid talking when cameras were turned off and microphones were muted. This year — although we are still wearing masks—a valuable part of education is back.
It took me a couple of weeks of "normal" school to realize how much I missed out on in my sophomore year. However, last week, a seemingly insignificant moment in my math class made me thankful to be back. When my teacher asked if we could see a "pattern" when looking at trig functions, I answered yes, before looking at the board and taking back my answer and saying no. This made everybody laugh, which my teacher said she really missed, as it had been probably 18 months since the last time something like that happened. It made me realize the thing that makes school tolerable, for the most part: being social, and simply being able to talk to my peers in my classes.
— Michael, Glenbard West High School, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
The first day of school was eventful. The hassle of trying to figure out what to wear, the rush as my family runs around trying to get ready and out the door before we are too late. The busy hallways are full of returning and new faces. The packed classrooms of students figuring out their seating arrangements. The teachers are as happy as can be to see their classrooms full of students not black screens. The confused faces of students as there is a problem on their math test that they don't know. The football games with the screaming crowds. All in a normal day of school, the first in a very long time.
— Jack, Hoggard High School
Being back at school has been a beautiful mess. Seeing all my friends again was great and I really missed playing in an actual physical band (crazy, I know). I definitely missed complaining about the lunch I packed with my friends and doing nothing about it the next day, and complaining about my next class, and homework, and that amazing feeling when the final dismissal bell rings.
So, based on that, you'd assume I don't really like school all that much. However, I assure you, taxpayers of America, that is not the case …There's just something about getting up extra early and driving to school and watching the sunrise, listening to my favorite music, feeling terrible yet amazing, constricted to my educational prison yet free, enjoying the wind on my arm that I lazily hang out the window. I even missed the drama, the stupid pointless relationships, the gossip, and everything that comes with that …
I can't help but feeling like there's not much hope for the world sometimes, but with my friends at my side and the crisp six AM breeze at my back, I am confident in my future.
— Andy, Rio Americano High School
By no stretch am I an extrovert, but my return to school is one that finally relieved me of the pain of loneliness. Nervous I was, but it was drowned out by a very real feeling of hope, one where I can finally make a real effort to improve myself, and have it written on a transcript. It's funny because I never expected that to be an actual thing I wanted reintroduced into my life, (I'm a B student) but in hindsight, from distance learning it was exactly what I needed: discipline, expectations, and a bit of suffering; And more so, the actual physical connection I would have made with people, of which I didn't make friends in my half-year as a freshman. So I think that after 18 months of grueling loneliness I was so, and I mean SO ready to finally socialize.
Distance learning's lack of effectiveness taught me what it was like to truly waste away your time, where your growth in education, self, and relationships is slowed to a crawl; To me it's departure sets an expectation to be my best, I still dread schoolwork, quizzes, tests, but I realize that once you're in a comfortable place you simply stop getting better. Distance learning was definitely the lowest part of my life so far, but this year, month, the few weeks I've spent back, have subsequently been my highest. At the very least, I have a friend group to sit with at lunch now, and now I am forever grateful for a real school year- Cheers.
— Daniel, California
Whether they're happy to be back or not, many say they feel they've entered a strange new world.
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The first day back at school honestly felt like a field trip. Something fun you get to do every once in a while to get out of the classroom and mix it up. Compared to months of waking up at 7:59 a.m., throwing on the same light-blue hoodie, and eating my favorite cereal (Krave) every day as my teacher lectured to a bunch of black boxes that were supposed to represent my peers, the first day of school was a roller coaster of emotions. I thought I would be prepared for my life back at school, but every day after the first one felt like an eternity, especially when the homework started piling up and I couldn't just bike to Veggie Wagon and get milkshakes with my friends any time I wanted.
On the second day, we had a writing assignment in our Economics class. I picked up the pencil, which felt foreign in my hands, and had no idea where to start. At this point, I would normally be googling away, but I can't do that anymore either. I managed to finish the assignment but after eighteen months of typing on a computer, I could barely recognize my own handwriting. Regardless, with inspiration from my mom who has been non-stop working at the hospital and didn't get the luxury of ever working from home, I can only hope to continue doing my best and get back on my feet.
— Samin, Hoggard High School, Wilmington N.C .
I feel like things are distorted and are not the way I remember my freshman year. Obviously classes have gotten harder and the days seem longer. But that's not what I'm talking about; school doesn't have the feeling of normalcy I once knew. I thought going back to things there would be a return to normal and I'd still get the joy from my freshman year back. But that's not been the case, school still has the same skeleton but I think there is a change in the heart. I've lost some of the love for school. Nowadays I seem to just go through the motions and rarely find anything of meaning to grasp on to.
— Will, Glenbard West
Consistently going to school from the ages of 3-14 seemed normal, I didn't know much beyond homework and tests and studying and all the work I just did without question for so long, but with a "gap-year" just after freshman year, it makes me wonder how I did it. The time off gave me so much time to figure out who I am, how I fit into our new world, and what I want to be. I got new hobbies, made friends (online), and was able to reflect and work on me. With that knowledge now, I can't help but wonder how much school represses a person's person.
— Gabriel, A California High School
Living in South Korea, the government rules for schools are different, and I mostly went to school except for a few weeks of online class. Some things are like the days before covid, but many things have also changed …The biggest change is smaller class sizes, and the way we eat. Everyone is spread out with plastic protectors, and masks are mandatory for everyone. Assemblies have been canceled since last semester …
I met many people after covid, so I am only used to seeing their covered faces, and there are some people that do not know how I look under my mask, and vice versa. And it is constantly surprising to see someone without a mask because they become a totally different looking person from the way I imagined them!
— Allison, South Korea
I have to admit, while I am grateful to be back, I don't know if it was entirely the right decision. We're only three weeks into the school year and already so many students have been stripped of in-class learning due to Covid exposures, myself and my siblings included. The district has no plan for students when this happens, they are just required to stay home and "catch up when they get back." This is so hindering to our learning and its really hard to "just catch up" as high school students when the material and teaching in class is often cumulative.
— McLean, Rio Americano High School
Learn more about Current Events Conversation here and find all of our posts in this column.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-what-its-like-to-be-back-in-school.html
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