Students were ill prepared for this school year

Posted Oct. 19, 2021

By Natalie Hebert

News Reporter

Going from one grade to another is hard enough to adapt, but when COVID changed the last year and a half of school, it made it unbearable.

Some students had the easiest time during CDL, but others struggled to increase their grades and understand their classes. Every student had to manage their own learning and possibly help siblings with theirs.

In 2019, the start of school and CDL was a breeze. Yes, there were hard assignments, but it was easier than in person. The following year was not as simple; going from a couple of months of CDL to the start of a school year, to an entire year of online classes was devastating. There was a dramatic drop in mental health, no social interactions, not going outside very often, and not having an outlet to stay active most of the time.

I don’t know much about other students at DDHS, but I wake up early for a zero period that starts at 6:40 a.m. One thing that was appreciated was last year’s later start. Instead of waking up for a class to start at 7:40 a.m. I can sleep in later and start class at 8:30 a.m. The extra night’s sleep made a considerable difference when it came to my brain actually functioning and paying attention in my classes. Now that school has gone back to in-person learning, school starts at 7:40 a.m. I do not want to wake up to another stressful day with barely any sleep and a brain still turning its gears for the first few hours of school. The extra sleep was very much needed.

I don’t know if it was the curriculum or just another thing COVID let slide, but last year's assignments and the workload were considerably easier than this year's. I know I’m not the only one when I say I’m almost behind every day. I’m a senior so most of my classes are at the college level or close to it in preparation for beyond high school. The amount of time spent on homework after school is about three to four hours if I’m on top of things. In CDL the amount of time was about an hour and a half. Teacher communication became easier as well. Instead of coming into the room before school, after school, or during lunch (if they have the same period), you could arrange a time or have their schedule for office hours.

The number of classes taken at the same time changed as well. I was taking the same four every day in CDL, but now I’m juggling seven different classes and some after-school activities. The amount of work or time needed not only doubled but became more complicated to manage. Making daily lists is like pulling teeth, there is so much written on the list that I have a breakdown thinking about being able to finish it all before midnight.

Several things changed from this year to last year, but the transition has not been a smooth ride for any of us. As the year goes on, it might get easier. In the meantime, I will make sure my mental and physical health is my number one priority as well as having conversations with my teachers about the workload.