This year more than ever, in-person interaction has proven itself vital in the academic achievement of many students, which is something that has been taken for granted in previous years. Last year no one could have predicted that all upper school students at Parker would be waking up, sitting on a screen for hours on end, doing homework for a few more hours, and going to sleep, all just to repeat it all again. Due to the pandemic, students worldwide have been faced with this experience and the new obstacles that come with it. 

A variety of challenges has appeared, such as mental health difficulties, trouble managing time, screen exhaustion, loneliness, and trouble keeping grades up. On the other hand, some students are thriving under remote learning. 

As Parker students are wrapping up their first semester, they look back and reflect on how it went compared to last semester. Senior Emma Jung said, “I think that first semester went really well. The scheduling was so much better than last spring and I feel like it’s a good amount of on and off screen time, with how my schedule and classes worked out.” Last spring, many students and parents were not happy with the school’s effort to keep up the vigor of the course in each class. 

Freshman Grant Koh and junior Aidan Young both agree that the first semester went well, especially given the tricky circumstances. In March, when Parker initially moved completely remote, “it was so abrupt,” said Young. “Now, I feel almost nearly fully adjusted. In fact, I feel so adjusted where the transition back would be abrupt if we went back after finals.”

Many other students like Young have adjusted to remote learning. They have learned more about themselves as students, and learned about their learning styles. Koh suggests a strategy he has found useful — putting away distractions such as a phone in order to maximize concentration. Other students, such as Jung, have found that it is helpful to take breaks in between homework sessions because it is unreasonable to be looking at a screen for so long. Another adequate solution to excess screen time is printing out homework when possible. 

One of the most important attributes to a strong academic career is organization. Young swears by one of his stepping stones to success, which is nothing more than to simply “keep organized.” His planner plays a vital role in his everyday organization. When Young explains his plans and goals for the second semester, he explains the importance of his planner, saying his main plans are “sticking with my paper planner. I don’t ever want to let that go forever, honestly.” Young argues that writing down what he has to do on a physical piece of paper regularly is what keeps him and his success on track. In fact, one of his main worries about moving hybrid is not being able to maintain the consistency of his planner. 

In addition to using a planner, putting distractions aside, taking breaks, and printing out work when possible, there are countless other good habits that Parker students have developed throughout this experience. Of course, with good habits also comes weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses, and remote learning has put a spotlight on certain faults, making these flaws more easily discoverable for some students. Koh, for example, has discovered that group projects do not work over Zoom. Trying to coordinate with classmates remotely adds a layer of stress to group projects. In terms of personal troubles that have come to surface, Koh discovered that he “should not put off the lion’s share” of his homework for days that are lighter in classes. In the next semester, he is going to try to split work periods up when possible. 

As a senior, coronavirus setbacks have been extra frustrating, and this applies to Jung and many others. Jung had a tough time adjusting to remote learning at first but adapted and grasped ways to help with the transition. Something she plans on doing more of in the second semester is keeping in touch with friends as well as remaining positive despite the various changes coronavirus has caused to the typical senior year. 

Furthermore, the effects that the coronavirus has had on education in the past year is unlike anything anyone could have seen coming. Regardless of this, students all throughout the world have handled this situation differently, nonetheless finding solutions and ways to improve throughout. First semester brought a lot of challenges, but now it is time for students to incorporate the lessons they have learned into their work during the second semester in order to continue working towards improvement.