As most of you have experienced, COVID-19 has made some serious changes to our lives. These changes affect our homes, businesses, and even our schools. Many students at AHS have opted to do their schoolwork from home using our online learning resources. Several others are utilizing remote learning to complete their classwork. The booster spoke with a handful of students to get their input about their experience with digital classes.  

     To start off our short interview, students were asked whether they preferred online or in-person learning. Half of the students said they preferred online, while the other half liked both equally. They were also asked which platform they felt they learned best while using. Similar to the last question, half of students thought they learned more online, while the other half learned more in person. “. . . working in person is harder for me personally because sometimes the teacher moves too fast and I don’t have time to take notes or ask questions. With online, I can watch the videos at my own speed and take notes, pause at any time, and email a teacher if I have any questions or am confused about something,” said Kat Pedroza, junior. Jordyn Lee, junior, had an easier time with online because “there aren’t any students being distractions and I can work at my own pace.” 

     The students were questioned on what their biggest struggle with online has been. “Having questions and confusion that I can’t just go ask a teacher,” said Kyla Hasselman, senior. Eli Schubert, junior, said, “getting all the instructions for the assignment.” Other students had issues with remaining focused or with taking tests. Next, the students were asked about changes they would make to our online system. Kat Pedroza said, “Personally, the only thing I would change is how long some parts of each lesson are. I hate that they can be 15+ parts. . .” No other suggestions were offered up.   

     Finally, Kyla Hasselman suggested to “Ask for help when you need it! And it is very important to stay on top of your work while you’re online, because you can fall behind very easily (if not more easily than regular school) because it’s on your own time.” Kat Pedroza also offered up advice on time management: “Make sure that you set out a plan/time to do your school work! It’s so easy to get unmotivated because you are at home. I recommend working at a desk or table because it will help you keep better focus. Try to keep your phone or other distracting devices put up, but take breaks every so often so that you don’t overload your brain with too much material at once.”  

     Online school is a different experience than in-person learning. However, some things remain the same— like the need for time management and the occasional lack of focus. With any luck, we won’t have to utilize online learning forever (except for the students that prefer it). We should all learn to adapt to both environments, so that our chances of success are high. Remember: cover your nose with your mask, wash your hands, and always do your best!  

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