During the chaotic 2020-21 school year, students were given the option to attend school remotely. This left them almost completely isolated from those who were attending school in person.

Although remote learning had its difficulties, it has been just as hard trying to transition back into in-person learning. This transition left those students feeling lost and out of their comfort zones.

Sophomore Sara Stephenson is experiencing her first real year of high school on campus.

“I felt so lost on the first day of school,” Stephenson said. “I knew no one because I was online last year.”

For Senior Reagan Ames, the switch has been a bit of a shock. Even as a senior, missing a full year in a high school setting can set you back big time.

“It has been hard and stressful, but overall it has helped my mental health and it’s better to be in school to learn,” Ames said.

Spending a full school year in an irregular environment can make the norm feel off. For Stephenson, it made her feel introverted. When she returned to school, she felt like she could work more efficiently on her own.

“I don’t like group projects now. I feel more on my own now. Now I know I can do this, and I know what I am doing. I dislike that mindset,” Stephenson said.

After experiencing both online and in-person schooling, both students have concluded that being in-person is a much better format for their learning and mental health.

All in all, it was not a great experience with the number of struggles that formed along the way.

“It was tiring. I was never really prepared for anything because things weren’t put together that well. It felt like everything was put together last minute,” Stephenson said.

Ames’ biggest struggle was having to stay focused when she had to sit on her computer all day long.

“I felt like I wasn’t learning as much on Zoom. In-person I am able to communicate with teachers and there are way less distractions,” Ames said.

Finally, one of the best parts of high school is the extracurricular opportunities. Remote students feel they have missed out on many high school opportunities. They claim there was a major lack of communication about when the extracurricular meetings and events would happen.

“There was so much lack of opportunity. They wouldn’t tell us anything about things going on at De Soto,” Stephenson said.

This lack of opportunity has resulted in students feeling like they missed out on a full year of high school. However, due to the madness of the school year, one could argue that in-person students also missed out on a year of high school.

“In a way, I have missed out, but I also feel like everyone has,” Ames said. “The high school experience has kind of been changed because of COVID-19.”

In the end, these students enjoy being back in the school environment and all the great things that come with it.