100 percent capacity will put online students at disadvantage
Social isolation becomes more prevalent for Cohort C
March 16, 2021
From falling behind on schoolwork to social isolation, students in Cohort C have not had it easy. They will remain online for the rest of the year while Cohorts A and B will return in-person at 100 percent capacity.
Being in Cohort C this whole year has been difficult for me. I’ve found myself lacking the motivation and focus to pay attention in class, which only hurts me in the long run. Oftentimes, I have to re-teach a lesson to myself after being distracted all hour. I cannot fight the urge to go on my phone or occupy myself with something else. After all, who wants to learn about molecular bonds and grammar all day?
Continuing online will only make it more and more challenging to focus. In-person, I am forced to pay attention because distractions are not so readily available. Teachers can tell if you are on your phone, so it’s not worth taking it out.
I also found this year to be difficult socially. In school, you see and talk with classmates that you might not interact with outside of school. It has been weird not seeing any of these people due to staying at home full-time. I definitely miss all these social interactions.
Being in Cohort C while most of your classmates come back together would only further this isolation. If my friends were all at school together without me, I would feel like I am missing out. Granted, Cohort C makes up a substantial portion of the student body.
Additionally, many teachers do not pay attention to online students during class. I have several teachers who mostly ignore those of us at home. They teach solely to the kids who are physically present — we just watch. Although I understand that it is difficult for teachers to adjust, this is still definitely a problem. Transitioning to full capacity, I would think that teachers will prioritize Cohort C even less than what is little attention is already given.
Whether it be lacking focus, bearing the weight of isolation or falling behind, those of us in Cohort C are certainly not gaining anything from the return to 100 percent capacity.
