During my high school’s rehearsal of Beauty and the Beast, the stage manager cried out, all school activities were canceled, and school was closed for two weeks. My reaction at the time, which most students felt, was one of ignorant bliss – no more school! At that time, COVID-19 was just a hint in the news, similar to the passing flu, but then, a few weeks turned into a month, office meetings became Zoom calls, and eventually, school came back, but virtual.

It is important to remember that the now juniors were then eighth graders, the now sophomores were seventh graders, and the smallest of all, sixth graders, are now freshmen! Middle school is the developmental stage that all children must go through. During those odd years, most kids shake out that awkwardness and start to figure out who they are. They learn lessons about good decisions and bad ones. So, with those years missing, where does that leave us?

Jasmine Sonpar

Fast forward after two pandemic years, and I am a senior, Class of 2023! While this is exciting, it isn’t without its quirks. Entering the new year, even outside the school system, there is a longing for normalcy.

With no mask mandates, slackened social distancing, and regular class arrangements, school life appeared just as it did before. In spite of the two odd years before, students seem to be assimilating just fine. Although, there is one persistent effect of virtual learning, a lack of motivation.

A whole year hiding behind an icon, googling answers, and taking classes in bed has buried our motivation. Last year wasn’t too different from virtual school, and there was a mutual feeling of laziness. Phones and computers were used in class far more often than before the pandemic, late work didn’t have deductions, and the workload was significantly reduced. Now, phones are kept in bags, laptops are not used in every class, and teachers are dusting off their old lesson plans.

There has been a building frustration with the lack of attention from students, even within the first few weeks. Last year, it was normal to have take-home tests and mental health class days. With schools reforming those habits, students are forced to pay attention all day. This is good and bad. Students must readjust to a regular school day, but no one really feels ready. The resolve just isn’t there. Students call the school’s “new” policies around devices and other issues strict, but in reality, the administration is moving 

back to regular life. There has been a stark increase in procrastination, mainly due to the previously relaxed school environment. In high school, you have to pay attention in class, which is now being enforced. Freshmen who haven’t had high school pressure — where grades start to count — are more squirrelly in their seats. Sophomores who haven’t had experience in Advanced Placement (AP) classes are finding the curriculum harder to keep up with. Juniors loaded with APs haven’t experienced the true intensity of an AP class, as the concessions from the previous year are now gone.

Starting the new school year, no one wants homework, and everyone just wants to join the Google Meet from their beds, but it is more evident than ever that we have moved past the point of return. 

For prospective and current students, you may be experiencing slumps, stress, and uncertainty about how exactly your year will play out, but it will likely turn out to be a good year. During the transition from the relaxed COVID period to the return of the 2019 expectations, it will be irritating, even straining, but necessary for us to get our lives back on track — to find that lost motivation. For parents watching their child struggle with expectations, all you can do is support them. But just as the freshman went from acting out, by throwing fruit at doors, to sitting quietly while studying for an AP Government test, I believe the hiccups along the way will work out. We just have to support each other along the way and keep moving forward, just like the rest of the world.