Schools all around the world have made the decision to go online due to the COVID-19 outbreak. When students heard we would be going online, we didn’t really think much of it, except for the fact that it may be a pain.

Personally, many of my teachers didn’t like the idea of going online, and I agree with them. Online school has definitely increased stress levels for students, including myself. For me, e-learning has been a struggle.

My house doesn’t have stable internet, so with everything being online now, I can’t rely on always having an internet connection. The district has provided ways around this struggle such as free internet access in the school and public library parking lot, but I live out of town so these haven’t been ideal solutions for me.

Earlier in the year, I liked the benefits of not having to wake up early and have more time for myself and my family. Since e-learning has started, I wish that I could go to school and have social interactions with my friends and teachers. In some ways, online school is a nightmare.

After our two-week spring break, I pretty much lost knowledge of what we were learning prior to the changes that COVID-19 caused. After the break, getting back on a schedule was a challenge, but I have found benefits to having a schedule such as more time for assignments and more sleep.

Once I got used to the ways my teachers taught, which has been very different for each teacher, my workload and stress levels have decreased in my everyday life. Sleep has helped me to relieve stress, and with my new schedule, I have been able to get more sleep than I ever have! My wake up call is at 9 and I really try to finish my work at 3 so I have time to just relax. 

I am a very band-involved student, and the new online system has made band class a struggle. Although the situation is not ideal, Mr. Doddridge, the EHS band director, has shown us the app Acapella where we can play music with each other. This has helped me keep myself a little bit sane because I can see my band friends and make music with them.

Online school has granted students the opportunity to have more time to complete assignments. Personally, I like to get a head start on the week, so on Monday, I start working on the assignments, and if I have any problems or questions, I have the entire week to get them addressed.

Once my work is done, about halfway through the week, I like to spend time with my family and continue some hobbies I had before online school began. Some of the hobbies I like to complete in my free time are sketching, drawing and I’ve been getting into cooking. Netflix has also become one of my very close friends. For entertainment, I began watching more crime documentaries and movies.

Online school seems like a hassle and can be stressful at first but with the help of the amazing staff, administration, and teachers, online school isn’t all that bad. We just need to remind ourselves that everything, in the end, will be ok and this is just one small roadblock that we can overcome if we stay positive.