Education During the Pandemic

What Students Prefer: Virtual or In-Person Learning.

Nick+Quay+grabbing+the+fresh+cookies+from+the+oven%21

Hamda Hamed

Nick Quay grabbing the fresh cookies from the oven!

COVID-19 has impacted people in so many different ways this past year, whether that be our daily routines, our jobs, or even our mental health. It’s even affecting our education, no matter the school or grade level. The St. Charles school district has given students the opportunity to choose between virtual or in-person learning this year. 

Seniors Nick Quay, Ryan Bain, and Justin Blair were all virtual first semester, but decided to come back to learn in-person for second semester. 

“I now prefer in-person because I am a very social person and being in my room all day, just staring at a computer screen, and just listening to people talk about things I’m not necessarily interested in can get very boring,” Bain said. 

All three seniors agree that the hardest setback while learning virtually is being tempted to just turn off your camera and fall back asleep. 

“For me, the biggest challenge is to not cheat on every single assignment,” Quay said. 

There are many differences between learning virtually and in-person. Blair said not being able to talk to others is a major one.

It was just not a fun time, no learning was happening.

— Justin Blair

“Having to work independently all the time and never being able to get a second opinion on something was kind of annoying,” Blair said. “I truly found zero good with virtual learning at all and I just think that it benefited my grades.” 

Even though they prefer in-person now, they did have some funny moments while being virtual.

“I remember I was in Spanish and another virtual learner asked if the questions on the quiz were out of order from the review guide during the quiz, so he was definitely cheating,” Quay said.

“For fun, I joined a Zoom class one time in a banana costume, just being goofy,” Bain said.

Accidently sleeping through the whole day happens often for virtual learners. 

“I got onto my English Zoom at 7:22 a.m. and I remember blinking two times and then waking up around 2:25,” Blair said.