Looking Back at One Semester of Virtual Learning

After taking one whole semester of hybrid learning, we asked a few students to share some reflections on their experience below:

This year has been vastly different from years in the past. Not only were we on a hybrid block schedule, but we also had to meet teachers and complete assignments from two completely different settings. It took me a few weeks to get used to the block schedule. It was weird to only have classes a couple days a week, and I had to get used to my schedule even though I wasn’t in the building every day. I additionally felt that it was difficult to find my way around the building since I’m a freshman. I eventually got used to it, but it took longer than a normal year. My least favorite aspect of hybrid learning was having to take classes from my room. I felt that it was distracting and also hard to take tests and quizzes at home. My favorite aspect of hybrid learning was being able to sleep in for the days that I was virtual.
-Anonymous WHS Student 

I didn’t have much trouble adjusting to the new schedule this year. I like the block schedule because I was able to learn more in a single class than previous years. I also liked that the days were shorter and that the classes were different each day. Finding my way around the building wasn’t particularly difficult, but I did have some trouble adjusting at times. Certain classes were easier to learn at school than others, and I think that most of the assignments were able to be completed from home because we usually did them on our laptops anyway. Tests and quizzes were different though, because they were presented differently than other years and it was more distracting to complete them.
-Anonymous WHS Student 

I like the new schedule this year because of our ability to leave school at 1:05 rather than 3:00, giving me an extra two hours to do homework and sharpen my extracurriculars. However, tests and quizzes have also been pretty strange this year, as each teacher is different. Some teachers–when managing virtual classes–simply tell students to keep their cameras on and trust them not to look at their notes. Meanwhile, others allow textbooks, notes, and sometimes even the Internet to be used on tests and quizzes, as there would be no way of knowing whether an online student cheated or not. Either way, it is always better to possess a concrete understanding of a subject, even if its upcoming exam is completely open book and open note. This is because students would be better prepared for courses they will take in the future, and possibly some exams (especially the AP exams) as well. 

-Haddy W. Dardir (11)