Returning to school with only the demanding academics and none of the fun stuff was unappealing to all of us. However, after experiencing both fully remote and hybrid learning, I decided being in the hybrid is far better than being at home.

     My first day back in the building was a whirlwind; without any of my closest friends in my color group, I scrambled to reconnect with friends in previous classes and was disappointed by the lack of energy and excitement present in the small classes. I was also unknowingly exposed to COVID-19.

     The morning after the school notified me of my exposure, I got a COVID-19 test. Even though the test came back negative, I wasn’t allowed on campus for two weeks.  So, I was thrown back into Zoom.

     While it was nice to wake up later on some days, or have more time to relax, doing all online school due to exposure was absolutely dismal. After slogging through Zoom lectures without the stimulation of in class discussions, I found that online learning is far less beneficial and enriching than being in school.

     Staring at a computer screen rather than being physically in class is far less engaging, and more mentally and physically draining than moving around school each day. Sitting sedentary in one spot for an hour alone, mindlessly listening and watching a Zoom lecture  practically feels like watching TV. I felt like my mind automatically went into Netflix mode and my brain checked out like I was watching “The Office.”

     It was also more difficult to feel motivated at home and the lack of structure during my days didn’t help. Even though I was working out everyday outside of my house, and seeing friends out of school, there was a missing social connection that couldn’t be reproduced through a screen.

     The social aspect of school, being in classes, being around my peers, having conversations and discussions, and eating lunch together, motivated me to learn in a way that Zoom classes failed to do.