This semester was like nothing before: albeit frustrating at times and in-person learning wasn’t all sunshine and roses either. The semester’s difficulty really depends on the type of student.

When looking at the online school schedule, the periods are shorter than in-person classes. My initial thoughts were that online school periods were far too short to get much out of the classes, but it turns out that when you work independently, you don’t require that much time to understand the material, especially when it’s just you and the information.

Being at home prevents a student from getting distracted by his/her peers. All they can do is look at the screen; students who tried during in-person school will if they have a quiet place to work, try to pay attention. This style of education can either provide students with straightforward pick up information, or it can leave students clueless. It all depends on the teacher. 

“I feel some teachers have been pretty good at not leaving that much [work] but that’s [my] personal [opinion]. However, motivation and learning wise it has become more difficult,” Diana Oliva, a senior, said. Of course, the learning environment is only as engaging as the teacher makes it out to be. However, teachers like Mr. Dhall, a 12th social studies teacher, seem to have their students motivated and engaged.

Although teachers could have perfect lesson plans, it all relies on the student’s input. A key part of doing well in school stems from how someone is feeling while in school. If mental health is affected, a student’s performance is likely to be affected too.

“There is more flexibility. In school, you [can] only really be in one place at a time but with Zoom, you can kind of hop around which makes some things easier,” Andrea Arellano, a senior, said. Being in the comfort of one’s own homes relieves the burden of any external social factors which some students look forward to, but I’m sure introverts don’t mind staying home all day long.