Starting high school can be overwhelming with a new building, new classes, and new people. Anyone who’s ever been a freshman can attest to that. This year’s freshman class, however, faced a new challenge: starting school without actually going to school. Before returning to hybrid learning, most freshmen hadn’t been in the building since March. Others didn’t even go then. So, what was it like for them to start their first year of high school online? Some freshmen weighed in.

What were you most nervous about?

Class workload, meeting new people, and starting new classes were certainly at the top of most freshmen’s lists, going into the school year. Now that classes have started online, however, most of those original worries have subsided. But, returning to school in person has made what was possibly the biggest fear of them all suddenly become a reality again: learning how to navigate the school building. 

“The only thing I was nervous about was getting around the school and knowing how to get to class,” freshman Kate Miller said.

Olathe West isn’t your typical high school, after all, and even if classrooms aren’t rotating daily, the unique layout of the building might take some getting used to for freshmen; and it’s quite possible it was exceptionally difficult for freshmen to find their way around this year when they returned to school for hybrid learning, as they hadn’t been able to walk around the building since the spring. “I feel like it’ll be easier to get lost for me, personally, because I haven’t seen the school in months,” freshman Karly Kimerer said. 

Nonetheless, many freshmen agree that the start of online school helped calm their nerves, as did returning to the building. “I’m still nervous for finding my classes,” freshman Aubrey May said. “But I feel like now that I know everyone, it’s not as nerve-wracking.” 

Freshmen were able to get to know their teachers and find out who their classmates were while attending online class. This brings us to our next topic- how freshmen feel about online learning. 

Positives of Online Learning

  The general consensus on remote learning was that it wasn’t pleasant, though there were a few elements that freshmen agreed were good. There were a few ways teachers have made online learning more engaging, such as utilizing the chat feature or individual breakout rooms. The major thing freshmen agreed, however, was the comfort of remote learning. 

“I can wake up later and I wear my Kansas hoodie and pajama pants all day,” freshman Addison Smith said. 

Comfortable clothing was certainly among the many perks of online school, as was a few extra minutes of sleep. “I feel like it’s easier to get up in the morning,” May said. 

She also pointed out that it was good to not have to go out in the cold to wait for a bus. Most of the freshmen agree that there’s certainly something nice about attending zoom classes in the comfort of your own home. 

Negatives of online learning

  The biggest challenge with online learning is simply that it’s online. This lends itself to a plethora of technology issues, especially for freshmen who have switched to computers for the first time this year. “It’s very stressful having to always use technology, especially since we’re transitioning from iPads to laptops,” freshman Gabe Leathers said. Moving from an iPad to a computer is a big step, and because every class is online, freshmen had to get used to it fast. 

“Right when I turn my computer on in the morning, it always just breaks down. It’s horrible,” Kimerer said. 

Computers glitch frequently for some freshmen, and sometimes programs like Microsoft Word will crash too. 

“It always glitches when you try to turn stuff in, like, no, sorry, we’re not gonna do that,” freshman Megan Ullrich said. 

There are also issues with links that won’t work or assignments that won’t load. 

“Sometimes, the links that teachers share, or posts that they put on Google Classroom… they just simply don’t work,” freshman Bryce Mallory said. According to her, this can often lead to missing points on an assignment in the gradebook for potentially no reason other than technological problems.

Breakout Rooms

When technology was working, however, that didn’t necessarily mean online learning was all fine and good. In fact, one of the things that many freshmen disliked the most about online classes is a Zoom feature that teachers used frequently- Breakout Rooms. 

Teachers love using breakout rooms. Students… not so much. There are a few up-sides to them, of course. “[In a breakout room] You only have to talk in front of a few people instead of an entire class,” Leathers said. This may prove to be a good alternative for kids who get nervous talking in front of a larger group of people. 

However, breakout rooms can also be uncomfortably quiet, especially for freshmen who don’t know many other students in their classes. “I got stuck with like, three boys from a totally different school, and we didn’t even do the assignment because none of us wanted to talk,” Smith said. 

There is, however, an option that may be more popular among students. “Some of my teachers put us in individual breakout rooms,”Mallory said. “So, if we’re doing work, they can pop in and see how we’re doing and see if we need any help. And you can request for them to go into your breakout room. That really helps me because I have anxiety talking in front of people.”