Editorial

Online learning is a never ending boxing match between the student and their mind. Let’s say every punch from the student is an accomplishment, and every punch they get is from a version of themselves that won’t give them a break. When the student throws one punch, they receive ten in return. It’s basically a battle with assignments, your conscience, and time. 

Some may say online school should be easier, right? You’re always home, you don’t have to get ready, you can even eat during class, and you suddenly have more available time; now these privileges do work for some students, but not all. When you have this time on your hands, you notice you’re not getting more of it, you’re running out of it. This constant battle we have with ourselves is distracting us from our youth. Now is the time we should be making mistakes, having fun with our friends, and making memories that last forever. Instead we’re staring at a screen and forcing ourselves to grow up, because time isn’t stopping for anyone. 

The schedules, A-day & B day, asynchronous, hybrid, remote tutorial, are normal to us by now. They don’t realize it’s easy to lose motivation when it feels like the same thing everyday. Same classes, same lectures, failing tests, doing late assignments. Repetition can easily become boring and no one is going to be motivated to do something boring when they have the option to just stay in bed sulking.

At our age we are still trying to figure out who we are and what we have a passion for. Since we’re not experiencing anything, other than stress and how to pull all nighters, school doesn’t seem like the most important thing right now. It honestly feels optional. It’s not that we don’t want to learn, it’s the fact that it’s mentally exhausting and we see no light at the end of the tunnel; just adulthood. 

These are the moments we all look forward to. Every eight year old can’t wait to be in high school and some adults wish they could come back. These are the moments where we’re supposed to make memories to tell our future dates about, or to tell the grandchildren. Instead we’re going to tell them how we spent most of our time behind a screen waiting for the teacher to say, “you are free to leave the meeting.” 

When you first enter high school, you feel like a new person. Everything is new; new faces, new settings, new teachers, new friends, and new feelings. Going to your first class fills you with adrenaline. The nerves build as you approach your fresh start. You meet your first period teacher, and your first period classmates. You start making new friends. You start finding out what you enjoy doing, and you start with your new life. Then suddenly this new life of yours is snatched right from you and boom, you’re going into your junior year and starting to think of colleges. 

For some students they didn’t even get to experience their firsts. The freshmen didn’t get to begin their new life, the sophomores didn’t get to finish their beginning, the juniors are being sucked into planning for the future, and the seniors are being forgotten.