The schedule of an online student

Tommy Khou, EHS Hi-Gusher Staff

COVID-19 has made going to school risky. Not only for me but for my grandparents who live with me. After discussing the situation with my family, we agreed that learning remotely would be the safest. But it isn’t always the easiest. In addition to being a junior and taking mostly AP classes, there is always a risk of technology failure. Online learning is definitely more stressful than going on campus. It is more time-consuming. Some days the internet is super slow, sometimes it won’t work at all, and then other days there will be no issues at all.  

After a discussion with my family on what our plans for this school year were, we came to a collective agreement that virtual learning would be much safer. Not only for us but our grandparents that live with us. In addition to being a junior and taking mostly AP classes, there is always a risk of technology failure. Online learning is definitely more stressful than going on campus. It is more time-consuming. Some days the internet is super slow, sometimes it won’t work at all, and then other days there will be no issues at all. 

7:00-8:50

I wake up in the morning at around 7 o’clock and get ready to start my day. I turn on my laptop, brush my teeth, and then get a snack while I wait for my first class to start. My first period is AP Calculus. I log in at around 8 o’clock and take notes on whatever we’re doing on my iPad. I find it’s much easier to take notes virtually as well in case we have to turn in our work digitally instead of having to take a picture of it and turn it in that way. I normally have no free time in this class because the lectures take up the whole class period.

8:50-9:48

After my first period, I attend AP Language and Composition. There is typically a google meet or loom video for this class addressing my assignments for the week. This is a more flexible class and allows me to have time to do the assignment for the whole period. If I finish up early and have time to spare, I get started on some chores around the house and help my grandma with whatever she needs help with.

9:48-10:41

My 3rd period is AP Chem, a challenging class. Every day I log into the meeting at around 9:48 and take notes, complete assignments, and even sometimes do labs. Or rather I observe them and participate in any way I can despite being at home. This class is one that I have no free time in and typically sit through a lecture or have to spend the whole time doing an assignment, much like AP Calculus. However, there is a weekly schedule which is appreciated and helps me to know what tasks and what I need to have done at what times in order to be productive and keep up with everyone else.

10:41-11:30

Then I have AP Statistics for my 4th-period class. This class is a very fun and entertaining class. My teacher, Mrs. Childers, makes simple lessons much more entertaining and easier to remember! We are always doing some sort of activity, testing, or taking some notes. This class is interesting and helps keep my brain working as I move on to my next classes. Overall, this is one of my favorite classes. It is very flexible as well because the teacher is very considerate of my time and situation.

11:30-12:30

Then I have Journalism, my 5th period. During this class I log onto google meet, we address our game plan for the week and typically I write a story a week over something newsworthy. Then put the story here on the Hi-Gusher, after it has been edited and reviewed. Some days we do workshops to improve our skills! This is another very flexible class where I can really pace myself and easily manage my own time to make sure I am being productive.

12:30-1:20

During this time I am free to do as I please because it is about lunch for me. So I eat, help with more chores, complete some homework when the time is there, and then get ready for my next classes!

1:20-2:27

I have Spanish II for my 6th period which consists of activities and other assignments. Overall this class is another simple and easy class. There is typically not a google meet every day and just an assignment to complete. This class lets me spend more time to pace myself and do other activities for other classes after I finish the ones assigned to me already in this class. But most days I take this free time given to me to lay in bed and scroll through my phone. This is definitely my favorite part of my school day. 

2:27-3:15

And lastly my 7th period, AP US History. This class is a stressful one to end my day on. But my teacher, Mrs. Rottman helps to make the class much easier and much more exciting than expected. I log onto google meet every day and listen to the lectures. Her lectures are attention-grabbing and actually keep me participating and invested in the class. She is a very funny teacher and does so much to help make sure that online students are also participating in-class activities and feel included. Mrs. Rottman is very good at making the online students in her class feel like they’re in the class and makes sure that we have a chance to participate. Overall one of my favorite classes and a good one to end the day on. Except for when we have tests, which stress me out a lot.

3:15-Afterschool

After that class ends I typically go find some food or do whatever chores I need to, this typically takes around an hour to finish. Then I am completing other school assignments and homework that need to be done, taking up about 3 to 4 hours of my day. Then usually it is around 7 to 8, which is when I get ready for bed and have dinner. I try to go to sleep every day at 9 o’clock, but some days I will have to stay up until midnight to finish even more assignments. 

Overall it feels like some teachers have a clear grasp on what students at home can finish in a day and the workload optimal for us, while others simply don’t care and push a big workload on us anyway. There is a lot that could be done to improve student’s at-home learning experience and help to make sure they don’t feel too overwhelmed by their academics while also living through a pandemic.  Like more time for them to interact with the teacher possibly after school, or fewer assignments per day to decrease the stress of their homework load.  

The schedule of an on-site student

Jasmine Sanders, EHS Hi-Gusher Staff

This school year, COVID has made going to school risky and even deadly. We shouldn’t even be going to school. People are dying and students are still going to school. Despite the risk of getting quarantining, COVID, and symptoms. I take my own precautions of sanitizing and keeping my distance from people. My dad didn’t want me to go back, but I chose to, despite the risks. Online classes were not an option for me because I knew I wouldn’t be focused and I tend to procrastinate. I still feel like I made the right decision.

I wake up every morning at 6:50. I pick my clothes out, do my make-up and hair, and brush my teeth. I don’t really eat breakfast in the morning. Once I’m ready to leave my house, I get in my car and drive to school. When I arrive, I wait for the first bell to ring. 

8:00-8:50 

My first period is Film as Literature. In this class, we watch films and are given questions and short paragraphs to do. In the film we are watching “A Beautiful Mind.” This film is about a mathematical genius who later discovers he has paranoid schizophrenia.

8:50-9:43

 I go to my second period, English IV. We are now reading essays about poverty and discussing the issue. We start with our TSAD and then we get right to work. In this class we read short works and answer questions given to us.

9:43-10:36

I have Visual Arts II for my third period. We have been drawing in our circle sheets. And today we are shading them in and are creating different designs to make our circle sheets pop out more. 10:36-11:29

I go to Lifespan Development. We are in unit 4. We have been learning about child birth and we are getting ready for our vocab test this Thursday. We are close to our last unit until we will be preparing to take babies home soon. I didn’t think we would take babies home because of COVID but we are. The virtual students don’t have to have babies, so they will be giving other assignments. Lucky them.

12:29-12:59 Lunch

11:29-12:29

I have Journalism II for an hour and we are writing stories and fishing deadlines. I am finishing up my stories so that way I will then turn in before she grades. I enjoy this class and the students because I learn so much That I didn’t know before. Before COVID Mrs.Cross would let the class sit on the floor and play games or we would play cards where she reads us something and we have to figure out the correct justification.

1:29-2:22

I go to study hall. I get on my phone and play Among Us because she doesn’t have any work for us. Ms.Callaway has assigned us assigned seats now its okay but one thing I don’t like is my seating position. I would prefer to face the opposite way but due to COVID we have to have seating arrangement.

2:22-3:15

I go to seventh period Trigonometry. This is my last class of the day where we take notes and learn new math problems. Today we have a test over finding measurements of the circle and angles. I didn’t get any of what we were learning but he had a one on one tutor session with me and I understood a lot better besides the loud student in there. It’s a small class and there are 7 students in there. Nevertheless, they are still disturbing.

3:15-Afterschool

After school I get in my car and go home and I end the day. I hope this story will see many EHS students and how I get my morning going. I hope this was interesting to see how many students are different.