Though I haven’t lived through many, 2020 was the most unconventional year I’ve ever experienced. One of the curveballs it threw at us was online education. The thought of going to school virtually is a concept that continues to baffle me with more than a semester in the books. What better way to kick off the new semester then by looking back at how the previous one went?

August (Day 1)
Despite the first day of school being the final day of August, that day did not go without remark. I hadn’t been more stressed out for a first day since sixth grade. The day was filled with constant checks of my schedule and navigation of Synergy, a program that was unheard of before the year began. Ultimately, this is not the best way to ring in the new school year.

September (Day 2 – Day 19)
After a less than desirable first day, I began to get into the swing of things. It wasn’t hard to embrace the virtual check-ins as nearly every Wednesday had become a second Sunday. Unlike most Septembers, however, there wasn’t a rush to put on a sweatshirt just yet as many days I found myself not going outside at all.

October (Day 20 – Day 37)
In the month of ghouls and goblins, the scariest thing on my mind was the end of the quarter. Whatever I was expecting on day one was far from how the quarter turned out. October is usually the fun Halloween month, though Halloween parties this year were either small, socially-distanced, or didn’t happen.

November (Day 38 – Day 50)
The start of quarter two meant a clean slate. A fresh start for grades and the thought of a lengthy break at the end of the month kept me motivated. The five days off were nice, though once the clock struck midnight on Thanksgiving Thursday, Christmas spirit was in the air. Not much else to write about besides the election in the shortest full month of the semester.

December (Day 51 – Day 63)
This month was dominated by the holiday season and the thought of winter break at the end of the month. Other than that, the month was fairly normal in terms of the school schedule. Christmas music and winter clothes were the only substantial changes as every month melded into the next.

January (Day 64 – Day 79)
Considering snow days are non-existent this year, it sure did snow a lot. Other than that missed opportunity, not much happened this month either. Online school has been the “new normal” for so long to the point where I can’t imagine going back to school in-person. With it almost being a year since I’ve stepped foot in the school building, I’m counting down the seconds until we go back.