Back to school: the day you used to love and dread because it’s the end of summer but you get to go back see your friends or make new ones. Not this year. Back to school of year 2020/2021 started on February 22, 2021. Weird, right? Before class, you wait outside, log into the “Crisis Go” app, get your temperature checked, get a red “X” on your hand, and then you go straight to class. That’s it. There’s not a lot of socializing. You can, but it’s difficult because you must stay six feet apart and talk loud enough with your mask on but yet not too loud.

There are only one-way hallways, so you cannot walk backwards, just straight ahead even if your next class is two rooms back. Wearing a mask all day is a necessity too! To be honest, I still have not really learned anything additional from being in-person. It still feels like I am online, except other people can see me. It seems like some teachers are paying a lot more attention to the in-person students than the online ones, even though I know that they are trying hard to maintain a good balance in this new situation.

Those are plenty of cons, so let’s get to some positives! You are around other people, not alone! You meet your teachers in-person and see what some of your other classmates look like. It’s easier to ask questions, and you have more of a routine. There is more of a “high school experience” because you get to talk to people and know the building so that current freshmen and other new students at Page will mostly know where they are going next year.

Is it worth going back to in-person? That’s up to you! In my opinion, no. I would have chosen to stay home five days than go to school two and stay home three. However, I’m happy that I’m here because it’s a different atmosphere: a new building, new people, and new opportunities that I would not have gotten while being online. We need to remember: teachers didn’t sign up for this, the staff didn’t sign up for this, and neither did the students, but we have to make the most out of what we’ve got!