Returning back to school was an interesting experience for all students and staff. Some feel bad, some feel good. We all had to transition from being online for months to suddenly going back. It was an odd experience for everyone in the world.
When we were put on lockdown, I was in the middle of seventh grade and it was March 2020. Life was good. I had friends who were great people and grades that were perfect. That was until my mom got the call home about a virus that reached the U.S. I was hanging out with my friends at my house that day. We were blasting music and laughing over every joke made. My mom had told us about the call and we were all so happy. We planned future things for us to do in our two-week “break.” Little did we know that was the last day that any of us would see each other for a very long time.
For so long, everyone was stuck in their homes. I did not know how to feel, I felt great at first. I was so excited to get a break from school and did not think it was going to be like that for so long. I had to experience “online school” which I thought was cool at first. A lot of people used online school as a way to skip school since it was told that we would all pass no matter what. I quickly got bored of it. My last few months of seventh grade were wasted.
I learned the hard way that people were going to change and not be there anymore. I lost people that were there for me since elementary school due to not speaking anymore because we weren’t in school. I slacked on all my school work for the end of seventh grade. I just wanted to go back and see my friends.
I remember hearing about twelfth graders at Malden High not getting graduation due to COVID. My sister who was in nursing school couldn't get her graduation either and was moved online instead. Then I realized I was going to be in eighth grade. My last year attending middle school. I wasn’t gonna be able to have any fun field trips like all the eighth graders before us did. More importantly, I probably wasn’t gonna get graduation either. But I ended up having the chance of my last year being somewhat good.
Soon enough, I started eighth grade. We were online until March. We began a hybrid schedule where we picked between blue and gold days. There were a certain number of students in the building each day to manage social distancing. I was able to go back full-time towards the end of my eighth grade school year.
Stepping into that building for the first time with everyone there since March 2020 felt surreal. Everyone looked older and it wasn’t just because of the masks. People sounded and acted differently too. We had no field trips at all and still got graduation, but it was a quick one to make everyone happy. I cannot say my eighth grade experience was the best, but I can say it was better than staying online for the entirety of the year.
I’m now a ninth grader at Malden High in 2022. I attend school full time and we are all required to wear masks. I went from being a little seventh grader at Linden Steam Academy to a ninth grader in high
I’m now a ninth grader at Malden High in 2022. I attend school full time and we are all required to wear masks. I went from being a little seventh grader at Linden Steam Academy to a ninth grader in high school in the blink of an eye. Crazy isn’t it?
It’s hard trying to adjust to a new school so quickly after being in a pandemic for so long. I got the opportunity to meet some of the nicest people I ever thought I would meet. I learned to appreciate the little things in life because you won’t always get the opportunity to have those things forever because who knows what could happen. Yes, I lost some things during the Covid transition but was able to gain things during it as well.
I’m still adjusting to everything after a year of going through this virus and unfortunately, it is not getting better this year. Everyday I continue to hope things will get better for the world.
