Reflection: The 2021 School Year

Reflection%3A+The+2021+School+Year

Nicole Velez, Staff Writer

Reflection: The 2021 School Year

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the world and changed the lives of many in what has become an incredibly unique [past] year and a half, for lack of better words. Arguably, it has been the most challenging year for students in recent history. As a result, a variety of opinions have been bouncing through the walls of schools around the country… Here at East Hampton High School, many disagree with how the year was handled, what is being done currently, and future plans regarding COVID-19.
However, amid strong negative feedback, I, for one, had an amazing year. As a freshman, I was relatively successful, and like many around me, I stressed about how the pandemic would affect my grades, extracurriculars [clubs], athletic participation, etc., before the 2020-2021 school year even commenced. Little did I know, the pandemic would be a blessing in disguise for students like me, who tried their best to take advantage of the situation they were placed in.
Though, right now would be a good time to acknowledge that I understand: not everyone had an “amazing” year. And that’s totally fine. Practically every student had to make sacrifices and adjust to a new lifestyle overnight- I know it wasn’t easy. And I also know, no matter how hard some students tried, online school just never clicked. For Daniel Torres, a sophomore at EHHS, being in school meant listening and focusing much better than at home. Consequently, he felt he was able to “actually learn.” And that is the honest truth for many students. They just can’t learn through a screen. And for them, I hope the coming school year will provide us with the normality that the current one did not.
But, in continuation to my unpopular opinion, the school year was great. It gave me time. And for me, time was something I desperately needed and craved during my freshman year. Online school, which I got used to very quickly and was able to learn from, was the reason I felt like I was “chilling” for the majority of the year.
I was able to morph online school to fit my needs, which would have been hard to do with a full week, in-person school year. I did various sports and clubs while still challenging myself academically, and it was much more flexible than it would have been otherwise. For example, if I really had to, I could’ve been in a moving car while not missing a club meeting or class. It was convenient, to say the least.
Another advantage of remote learning was that it eased any social anxiety I had. Quarantine had me interact with only my family members and limited outsiders. I don’t think I was ready to come in full-time, even when we did! I’ve grown as a person, but interacting with others has become more complicated than it ever was before. And this is coming from a person who was always [somewhat] social!
So, while empathizing with those who really didn’t enjoy the school year, I have to say: I will miss it. It provided me with so many opportunities, time, and less stress than I’ve ever had the luck to experience. It almost felt like a much-needed break. Still, I’m excited for the next year, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!