With school now being back in person, there have been many changes to accommodate the pandemic that struck the world a year ago. Everyone has to wear a mask and we can’t sit next to each other anymore. Conversing has totally changed and you can’t be in little pods with your friends anymore. Classes feature both in-person teaching and Zoom/Google Meet. There isn’t a brunch anymore and everyone is going in the direction of their next class, with many lost freshmen searching for their classrooms.

Personally, my experience has been a little weird and a bit awkward. With many upperclassmen deciding to not go back to in-person learning, there is hardly anyone in any of my classes. One of my classes just had me, a senior, and the teacher, who was constantly looking at us to make sure we understood the material. There were many awkward stares. One of the worst parts of this mess is not being able to eat in class, one of my favorite things to do in just about every single class.

We don’t have the luxury of, after class, going to make something to eat to satisfy our hunger as the online kids do. We have to wake up early now instead of waking up minutes before class, just to join and go on our phones. We can’t see our beloved pets and the classes are longer. Also, there is a bunch of awkward silence and the noise usually comes from people talking in the Zoom calls.

However, there are some upsides to coming back to in-person learning. You can interact with your teachers and get to know them better. Mr. Davis, the physics teacher, is one of my favorite teachers, even from just being in his class online. Going back in person to see him and actually talk to him was a blast cause he is so funny and it made the experience way more tolerable.

We can see our friends more again and not on a screen, though not for long. There is somehow a sense of normalcy throughout all of this, even with the many kids not in attendance. There was hardly any traffic coming here and school ended early. It’s also more convenient for those who have practice right after school because you don’t have to rush out of the house and hope to get there in time.

We also get to see our old teachers and interact with them. One example of this would be how I talked to my AP Euro teacher and got to see how he was doing. He is one of my favorite teachers on this campus and it was amazing to see him once again. We talked for about five minutes before I had to get to class and being able to have those kinds of interactions are what make school enjoyable and unforgettable.

As an upperclassman myself, it’s pretty weird to not see all of my friends after class and getting to talk and hang out with them. Walking back onto campus and knowing that I have changed so much since my sophomore year, gives me some kind of confidence, while also reminding me that I am in my last couple of years of high school. Although, being in class has made me way more productive than learning online. I am actually doing my work instead of just leaving it to the last minute. I am also understanding my work better now that I am seeing it done upfront.

Even though there are many positives and negatives to coming back to in-person classes, it is not for everyone. There is a good chance that my friends that actually came back to school won’t be returning very soon and I could very well be joining them.