As first quarter ends, students reflect on distance learning

As the first quarter comes to an end, students are being asked which learning model they would prefer for the rest of the school year. No matter the choice, distance learning has been difficult for students on either side of the discussion.

“Some teachers have gotten behind on lessons and are trying to stack them up. It makes it hard to manage to complete them to the best of my ability,” senior Carmen Hayes said.

For hybrid students, being in school one day and out the next can lead to difficulty during their online days. Between having less structured time and not being able to work as well from home, the struggle to complete the course work is proving to be harder than they thought.

Junior Ethan Gieffman also expressed that being a more visual and physical learner has made it problematic for learning the material on his own rather than with a group in class.

“It’s harder to learn without being around others. I need to be in school to learn,” said Gieffman.

Those who have chosen 100 percent online have also had difficulties of their own during the first quarter.

“Being able to go at my own pace is nice, but I find it pretty difficult to ask and get answers from teachers since I have to wait for a response,” said junior Jackson Fields.

A constant with both is the higher amount of distractions without teacher supervision including phones, chores, and talking with friends.

Alternatively, there are some positive life skills that are being developed out of these learning models as senior Aidan Goerdt expressed.

“I need to find ways to keep myself a lot more organized and accountable than I normally would be in person,” said Goerdt. “I think time management and self motivation is a really important skill to have.”

For seniors heading to a college or university in the near future, remote learning is an eye opener for many on what is in store for their next coming years.