Summer 2020: The Life of An Everyday Highschooler

By Ariana Lobo

Due to COVID-19, Americans have had to accept countless alterations to their everyday life. But what about our students? What adjustments have they had to make? With classes and extracurriculars operating normally one day, to every event, class, or activity being canceled the next – our student population now faces a wave of mental health struggles. The interview below features a 9th-grade student from South Florida that describes in-depth what her average “school day” now looks like, what is in store for summer, and how administrators are struggling.

What was your last day on campus like?

We were all a bit apprehensive at first. We were wondering what was going to happen. But for most of the day, we had no idea until around 2 PM our teacher stopped the class and said school would likely be canceled for the next two weeks. Then a friend whose mom worked for the school district sent a text message that said school was officially canceled. Less than an hour later, the principal went on the intercom and told everyone. Kids were kind of excited? Obviously, kids were excited to find out we had school off, but at the same time, most others were worried because you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It was only two weeks at first.

Since transitioning, how have you maintained your focus on school while in a home-based environment?

You have to reserve time at the beginning of the day to do your work. You have to try not to get distracted by your phone which is quite hard to do when you have no one peeking over your shoulder telling you not to. But usually, teachers put virtual due dates for the end of the day and your assignment is late if you don’t get it in by a certain point, like say 8 o’clock. You just have to try really hard to get it in by whenever they specify it needs to be done.

What does your new average school day look like? Have you found a structure that works for you?

It consists of me waking up at the time when school would normally begin. I usually check in to my morning meeting that I just sit and watch in bed, because we are all tired at this point. So I’ll then tune in to my first class, then I’ll do the work for that class. After that, I will have a two hour lunch period that I will use to catch up on any other homework I have or stuff like that. Then it’s two classes after that. I am usually done with my day around 4 o’clock.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Honestly, I think the biggest challenge has been the lack of communication with other students. You have less motivation to complete your work because of the lack of students that are around you. It’s such a dry feeling when you have work that you are barely invested in because there aren’t others around you doing it with you. It’s weird not seeing your friends every day and you feel lonely. Of course, you do your work at the end of the day, but you find a little less joy in it because you are surrounded by less people.

You are working with your teachers in a completely new way. How has this shift affected your teachers?

They have said that it’s a lot of work. A lot of kids are slacking and submitting things super late and wanting to get things in at the last minute. So then the teachers have to grade a bunch of work suddenly. They are also simultaneously dealing with the confusion of their students while also dealing with their own confusion. A lot of my older teachers, for example, are having technological problems just knowing what to do in the first place.

What expectations do you have for the summer of 2020? What is your friend group planning?

I have a couple friends who have jobs, somehow. But I would say a lot of them are planning on doing nothing. Some are focused on taking care of their younger siblings or other family issues. No one is really going on vacation. A couple I know will be going to family homes, visiting family. All internships and volunteer work are canceled so the most that I noticed people are doing is virtual school. I anticipate that’s what we will all be doing most over the summer.