NUI Goes Virtual

Coronavirus Impact on NUI High Schoolers

Quarantined high school students from around the world find themselves in a very unique position. They are facing postponed standardized tests, fewer school hours, and cancelled activities. It seems as if the quarantine might be in favor of Students of Noor-Ul-Iman school, though. This Ramadan, they find themselves with more free time than ever.

Omar Hagag, a senior, believes that fasting this Ramadan is significantly easier. Usually, in Ramadan, he spends a good portion of his fast outside the house. Now, he has the opportunity to sleep in the day, making his fast go by faster. However, Omar wishes he could have a normal Ramadan. “I still miss praying taraweeh at the masjid, attending Iftar parties, and volunteering at events,” he laments. “But, for a change, this new lifestyle is illuminating.”

Rizwan Imran, a junior, believes that the situation gives us a chance to capitalize on the benefits of Ramadan. “We could conduct taraweeh prayer ourselves, read more Quran, and make more duaa,” he claims. With knowledge from Quran and Islamic studies classes, Rizwan is prepared for this Ramadan.

Rizwan holds that the coronavirus came at an inconvenient time for him. His road test was scheduled for May, and since the DMV’s are closed, he was not able to take the test. Many juniors and seniors in NUI have had this problem too. Another problem that Rizwan and juniors across America are facing is the postponing of standardized tests like the SAT’s and ACT’s. As of now the next scheduled SAT is in September - in other years, students have the opportunity to register for a May, June, August SAT. This prolonged delay, according to Rizwan, causes conflicts in juniors’ schedules.

Because students have so much free time, they are often bored. When asked how he copes with boredom, Omar Hagag reflects, “To keep myself entertained, I read books, call my friends and family, and go outside.” Interestingly, all of these activities are phenomenal for mental health. “In these times, it is important to take care of ourselves,” he concludes. Omar is also invested in his physical health. Since recreational centers and gyms are closed, Omar and millions of other high schoolers have to stay fit. Omar suggests going on jogs or following a simple workout program.

It’s true that coronavirus has changed the game for high schoolers. But Noor-Ul-Iman students are finding ways to stay mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy.

Online School Interview

The transition from learning in a classroom to learning through a computer greatly impacts students all over the world. Compared to classes on-site, online classes are often shorter in length and demand more communication between teachers and students. As students from Noor Ul-Iman adapt to new learning methods, they find that online school is not all that different.

Amr Mohammad, a junior, believes classes via Zoom Video Connections do not impact the overall comprehension of material. “Some people might think that less class time leads to less understanding”, he reflects. “But less class time means more time to study individually. It’s an even trade off.”

Amr says the shift (for juniors) only went smoothly for several reasons. “First off, we owe it to the teachers. In the beginning, they went easy on us and pushed things back because we were dealing with so much.” According to Amr, teachers eased their way back into the original pace of learning. Amr believes that the way teachers conducted their classes played a large role in the graceful transition. Since class time is limited, teachers have to make the most of their classes. “They make their classes really interactive so it’s hard for us to lose focus,” Amr concluded.

Yahya Khan, a senior, holds that there can even be some advantages of online school opposed to on-site schooling. He believes that there are less distractions in online school. “It’s basically impossible to have side conversations,” Yahya emphasized. “When everyone is muted besides the teacher, it is easier for students to concentrate.” He also believes that it is a chance for struggling students to catch up and even excel.

When asked about the social implications of online learning, Yahya said students still have social interactions with each other, contrary to popular belief. Since teachers make the classes interactive, students discuss ideas and participate in seminars with each other quite often. Group work and projects serve to tighten the gap as well.

Yahya believes the grades of students all over the world will increase considerably. With more free time and sleep, students are less stressed and more prepared to work than ever. Furthemore, access to applications like Zoom and Google Classroom (which are easy to navigate) motivate students to get their work done. The transition from on-site schooling to e-learning might be hard for students across the world, but it seems as if it went smoothly for Noor Ul-Iman students.