by Emily Siansky ‘22

I’ve always been one of the kids who actually wanted to go back to school at the end of the summer. Everything about the start of the school year is exciting to me: going shopping with my mom for new clothes, getting my schedule and finding out how many friends I have in each class, and cramming in my summer reading at 10 p.m. are things–believe it or not–I look forward to each August. This year I got to experience the same excitement that I missed last year.

Compared to last school year, I have a much better daily routine being back in the Sherwood building. During virtual learning I tried my best to stay motivated and on top of my work. But, like many others, this did not end up working very well. After about the first quarter of Zoom classes, I was already burnt out and ended up “attending” most of my classes while sitting in my bed. Also, being on the computer for upwards of eight hours a day often gave me major headaches, which made me want to stay in bed even longer. School became an endless cycle of monotony and sadness that I struggled to escape.

I soon started to hold it against myself that I was not enjoying school anymore. Part of my identity was being a good student, and my experiences during online school made me feel as if I was coming up short. As much as I tried to snap myself out of it, I couldn’t. It was hard for me to admit that all my feelings and emotions were valid; I felt that this was only happening to me when in reality it was happening to students across the world.

Despite all the tolls online learning took on my mental well being, there were some good parts. Having Wednesdays as a work day was super helpful to catch up on homework, sleep in, and have more time to just relax. Still, the workload feels much more manageable this year even if it’s back to school five days per week. We meet with each of our teachers everyday instead of twice a week. With more classes in a week, lessons don’t feel as rushed. Even my AP classes seem to be more relaxed this year in terms of learning the material.

But maybe the best part of being back in school is the daily experience of interacting with friends and other students. It’s refreshing to once again hear students laugh in class, or even greet classmates in the hallway. Even though we’ve only made it through the first quarter, I’m feeling a lot better now than I did a year ago. Seeing my friends and teachers every day really makes such a difference. Though last year was difficult, I’m proud of myself–and everyone else–for making it through. The social element is so crucial to the high school experience, and I’m glad we have it back again.