For the last year and a half, school was online and effort was minimal. Starting off this school year, we are back in person and back to…as normal as it can get. 

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Despite some negatives, in-person school is better than online due to social interaction, hands-on learning and having a reason to get out of bed every day.

During the gloomy, mushed together months of COVID, we were unable to get out of the house, forcing us to do remote learning. With online learning it was easy to cheat and learn little. Students chose to take the easy way out and log into Zoom from bed, causing them to feel unmotivated. Being back in person forces students to learn and leave the house. “I love being back in person at school because seeing all of my teachers and classmates in person really motivates me to learn. It was more difficult to learn online since class was in my bedroom,” senior Ella Cooper said. 

In-person school means face-to-face interaction, something that lapsed in the past year and a half. When you stare at a screen for seven hours day after day you lose key social skills needed to succeed in life. Being back to school helps students develop those skills.  

In addition, in-person school allows students to get involved and join sports teams and clubs. Online, clubs were just another never ending Zoom. Getting involved in school helps you meet new people and creates a sense of community. 

AP Lang and English 9 teacher Kevin Brown said that, even though he has been here since 2019, he hasn’t been assimilated into the community due to distance learning. “I like in person school but it is so different because I used to get to see people’s faces, but now I feel more connected and comfortable because I have taught every grade and recognize familiar faces,” Brown said.

Online learning resulted in students being lazy, making them unable to workout and get exercise. In person, students are able to participate in sports, meaning daily exercise for the well-being of students’ health. 

According to https://www.prnewswire.com, “59% of teens believe that online learning is worse than in-person learning,” and “50% are concerned about their future if online learning continues.” 

On the other hand, people might argue that online learning is better due to the comfort of your home and choice of turning your camera on. However, in most classes, students chose to be mute and keep their video off. Teachers often taught to a black screen, unable to see their students’ faces all year. 

Getting help from teachers is substantially easier in person. Students can go in for lunch, advisory, before school and after school. Online, students had to build up the confidence to unmute and ask for help in front of the whole class, or chat the teacher, unsure whether they would even get a response.