ADAPTATION: The story of adjustment: from classroom to computer and classmates to dots.
By Ariana Molkara, Staff Writer and Social Media Manager.
October 13th marks seven months since the last day I physically attended high school. I remember it like it was yesterday. How lovely it was to eat my cereal in the car as I scrambled to make it to class on time, or to get knocked over during passing period by the high schoolers that towered above me, or to trip on the stairs over by the 600’s building (I swear those stairs despised me). Ok, I don’t know how lovely those things were but it doesn’t matter, because LIFE WAS NORMAL. No matter how many times I grumbled about going to school, I couldn’t imagine a world otherwise. It was where some of my fondest memories were made, where I found a second family.
Memories and a second family, however, have taken on a new form in quarantine. You see, I no longer recognize my peers by their unique facial features, but by the colored dot that corresponds to them. Yes, I’d say 98% of the class has their cameras off in nearly every period, but I guess that’s understandable. It might be uncomfortable for some people to put themselves on camera and have their every move recorded, but I can’t help but feel a little awkward when my face is floating among a sea of colorful dots. I already know most of my classmates, but for those I don’t know, I’ve invented personas and characteristics in my head:
Hmmm… I wonder what blue dot looks like. Maybe blue dot’s favorite color is blue!! Maybe blue dot is tall and has a deep voice and likes to listen to music. I think blue dot likes to read books and play sports. Yes, yes … that sounds like it could be right. Maybe blue dot and I would have become friends this year.
The circumstances are far from ordinary, but we’re learning to adapt ourselves to the new learning format. Even our fears and anxieties have been altered. While grades and finals used to give me grief, now the thought of my wifi not working or my computer crashing during those very finals keeps me up at night. Don’t even get me started on technology. Who ever thought that Alexa would be a problem? No, not the student in my class, the smart speaker that goes “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that” every time my teacher calls on her. It’s quite hilarious really.
What’s even more hilarious is that with no commute, I’m still somehow running late to school. Quarantine took away a lot of things but it didn’t take away the snooze button. As a senior with sleep deprivation, I deeply appreciate the extra snoozes. Not having to pick my outfit from the night before has also gained me a few extra minutes of sleep. I really tried to keep up my passion for fashion at first, but after the first week of school, I resorted to fuzzy pajama pants and a t-shirt. If you really think about it though, I’m still keeping up with the fashion trends. I heard that’s what’s in right now.
I can’t talk about remote learning without mentioning the wonderful fact that I can snack in- between or even during my classes. You know what independent work time means: a trip to the kitchen. I don’t know how wonderful that is for my figure, but it’s fine. Oh, and lunch is served hot and fresh. Cold leftovers are a thing of the past!
So besides the lack of social interaction and the awkward silence after teachers ask a question and nobody responds, I’d say remote learning is not all that bad. That doesn’t mean I want to continue going—or should I say logging on—to school this way, but I’m learning how to adapt and I’m trying to make the best of it. If remote learning has taught me anything, it’s to not take school for granted. It’s true that you don’t know what you have until you lose it. Yes, believe it or not, I am looking forward to the day that I once again eat my cereal in the car, get knocked over by the towering high schoolers during passing period, and trip on those beloved stairs by the 600’s building.