Teachers and students can commute up to an hour to reach this tucked-away corner we call school. Seniors can’t go out for lunch, students can’t walk home, and there aren’t places to hang out once the school day ends. With that being said, all it takes is a quick turn toward the window to see the water, with a clear view of New York City across the way. The AP Lit room has a clear view of the Empire State Building! The area is spacious, and so is the school itself.

Country Prep, on the other hand, is located in bustling Jersey City and sits in the middle of everything. Restaurants, spas, markets, and even homes are all within walking distance for most students. But with convenience comes congestion: the area is densely populated, the streets are constantly busy, and the school itself is much more crowded.

With that being said, how does this difference actually affect the students who experience it every day? 

To get a student’s perspective, I spoke with Madison Hernandez, a Senior at High Tech student who lives in Bayonne. With her commute and experience at High Tech, Madison offers a firsthand perspective on what it’s like to attend a school that feels so removed from the surrounding community.

“As someone who has always lived in a more bustling city and attended a school before high school where I could go out for lunch and visit places like Panera and McDonald’s, it does feel different. It’s strange knowing that other students are allowed to leave school for lunch while we have to stay on campus the entire day. At the same time, there are benefits to being isolated. Having a more secluded school environment can feel safer and more peaceful.”

Offering a differing perspective, Merola Boutrous, a sophomore at County Prep, claims that, “It feels good to be in a school that’s in a city. Since it’s in a city, it’s surrounded by life. I know that once I leave the school I can go anywhere I want without worrying about getting lost. It also makes me feel safer because it’s not in the middle of nowhere. I love having the opportunity to go out right after school with my friends anywhere I want.”

Ultimately, it all comes down to what you value in everyday life and whether you would rather have an isolated or bustling school environment. For some, life means interacting with the people around them at a spot just a block away from school. For others, it means staring off into the distance and appreciating the view. Neither is necessarily better - it simply depends on what you make of the world around you.