By Sophie Chiang ‘23
An entire year of hybrid learning is finally coming to an end. Some people have been on campus since September, some have not returned at all, and some have been going back and forth. Regardless of which category you fall into, it has been a strange year with too many unpredictable turns. As a person who has experienced both hybrid and in-person learning since returning to campus in February, I have insight into the experience of both types of learning and their differences.
When I was remote, I found that it was incredibly difficult to converse casually with peers during class because it was over zoom. This exacerbated the problem since the only time that I could interact with them was during class time. Zoom also made it difficult for me to offer my insight or answer questions. However, quite a few upsides came with being remote. I noticed that I had much more time than before to work on schoolwork, and I was able to learn on my own time. I had all day at home, without any distractions, to pursue what I wanted to do. I was able to read more than ten times the amount of books I read last year living at school. Additionally, I got much more sleep living at home. Being remote also allowed me the freedom to venture outside and meet up with friends and family, instead of being stranded at an island of a school. All in all, there were both positives and negatives that came with being remote, and some people may receive it better than others.
Here are some things that fully remote students have said about their experience:
“Remote learning makes things that felt natural back at SM much more challenging, like to keep working out, monitoring my sleep schedule etc. On the positive side, I had the chance to shift more of my focus to academics to improve on subjects I needed extra work on.”
“I think remote learning has let me learn at my own pace with less distractions. However, I’ve been isolated from lots of my friends and unable to participate in physical group activities.”
Even though remote learning offered more freedom and time, it felt like a wave of relief had hit me when I returned to in-person learning. I was finally able to wave to people in the hallways and chit chat with friends in class without the burden of having to unmute myself. Being able to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at school allowed me to branch out to new people and develop lasting friendships. I was also finally able to participate in sports. In my opinion, nothing beats the bond that a sports team holds. Even though I was ecstatic about returning to campus, there were some downsides. I had to be stuck on campus for months without being able to leave anywhere or see family. This made weekends less exciting than last year. There was less time to do work, as my day was now filled with sports, meetings, friends, and other activities.
Here are some things that students who have been both remote and in-person say about their experience:
“Remote learning oddly wasn’t too bad. I felt like I had a lot more control over my day-to-day schedule and I found it easier to focus than in-person. However, seeing my friends in person was a great experience as well.”
“Remote learning was extremely hard– I found it difficult to adjust from in-person learning to online learning, especially being in a completely different timezone and environment. Being at home was not an ideal workspace for me, making school a struggle.”
“Being remote, for me, was draining. Every day was repetitive and monotonous, as I had nothing to do but to do work and play video games. I gradually became more and more burnt out. But when I came on campus, I was able to finally see my friends and had much more things to fill my days with. I’m so glad to have come back on campus.”
In conclusion, although both in-person and remote learning come with downsides, I think the general consensus is that being back on campus is preferred. Look forward to next year, when all of us will be back on campus for an amazing year!
