2021-2022 Sophomore Year (From the Point of View of a Sophomore)

Graphic+by+Valley+School

Graphic by Valley School

Olivia Johnson, Staff Writer

It is no question that the 2021-2022 school year was challenging for many students coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many sophomores this year lost their first year of high school in 2020, so coming back to the building was a huge change for all of them. As a sophomore myself, it was extremely difficult to come back to school, especially it being my first year actually inside of the building in high school. 

It was difficult to come back into school because I was so used to my at-home school routine. As the year went on however, I began to get back into my in-school routine and I felt a lot better as time went on. 

Due to the cases of COVID-19 in 2021, the county decided that students would have the choice between still attending school virtually or doing hybrid classes, where students would attend school in-person, with many restrictions. Personally, I chose to stay home because I felt it was safer, and I did not want to change my routine closer to the end of the school year. I did exceptionally well during online school, and I honestly preferred it more.

A lot of students struggled in school when virtual classes were mandatory because they were not able to have face to face interactions with their peers and teachers. Many of them also struggled due to lack of motivation and distractions, preventing them from retaining the information being taught over the computer. Even though many people struggled with this, I did not, and I honestly liked doing my classes virtually. 

In August 2021, when schools reopened for all students to attend in-person classes, it was quite chaotic. From my own experience, I was extremely nervous to come into the building because not only did I miss my freshman year, but this would also be the first time I came to Freedom for my sophomore year. I didn’t really know what to expect but I quickly adapted to high school life. 

As the year went on, many things changed and numerous COVID restrictions were dropped. At the beginning of the year, masks were a requirement and social distancing measures were still in place. Many students were extremely irritated with the mask rule, but it didn’t really bother me that much. I felt as though it was a safer option and I was a little concerned once the mask mandate dropped.

Now that the school year is about to end, a lot has changed both positively and negatively. I’ve noticed that my sophomore year of high school has definitely been the most difficult dealing with the stress of school while also dealing with the stress of being a high schooler. A lot of other sophomore’s feel this way and many hope that their junior year will be more successful and they will have a better year. My hope is that I have the same, and hopefully my junior year will be less difficult than this year.