Throughout the year, many students have struggled to maintain the motivation and energy to complete schoolwork and keep up with their grades.

Initially, most students believed that doing online during quarantine would be easier to handle and the workload would be containable. They soon found that work seems to pile up and procrastination takes over.

Apathy has not only affected online students, but also students attending school during the day.

Due to the cancellation of school events, such as sports, productions and clubs, many students found it difficult to maintain motivation in school. 

Dylan Philpott is a senior and plays football. Philpott has experienced both online and the hybrid schedule.

¨We are only in school for a short period of time, I think having that social interaction with other students is a huge advantage when it comes to being in a learning environment,¨ Philpott said. ¨When you are just reading a paper, it’s very one dimensional compared to being at school.¨

Not being able to participate in normal sports and extracurricular activities has affected the student body greatly. Many students rely on their sports and clubs to maintain a healthy school and life balance.

Without balance, students felt they did not have something to work towards and look forward to.

¨I think not having a sense of normalcy affected the student’s motivation as well as not having those outlets where we would normally get to relieve some stress by talking to friends and other teachers,¨ physics teacher Annie Zaremba said.

Many students and teachers agree, the individuality of online school in march was the hardest obstacle to overcome. 

Not having relationships with other students and breaks from school took a toll on students’ mental health. Without the connection with friends, the ¨fun¨ of school was gone and students lost motivation.

English teacher Courtney Breon has noticed the change in students and their work effort.

¨Human interactions and teacher student dynamic in the classroom can not be emulated online,¨ Breon said. ¨For example, if a kid does not log in I can’t reach them so I don’t think any online experience could replace what happens in the classroom.¨

Both teachers and students found it hard to prioritise school during the online season. It was difficult to make the time in a relatively clear schedule because we were not familiar with online.

¨There was no accountability or structure, there was no plan. We were thrown into the craziness and when kids got wind of how the grades were going to go, the apathy kicked in and that was it,¨ Breon said.

During online, the decision was made that all students would pass any class with no lower than the passing grade. This definitely took the pressure off students, which was a positive. 

However, many saw this as an opportunity to not complete most or any assignments. 

¨During hybrid, there weren’t any guidelines during hybrid and the teachers couldn’t really help us because they had classes,¨ Philpott said. 

By now students have gotten used to having to make time for school, and are pretty comfortable with both online and the adjusted in person school.

As sports and clubs start to make a come back, school will continue to feel more normal as time goes by.