2020 has been a rough year all around. No one can argue with that. In March we were told to lock up and stay away from friends and loved ones. Everyone experienced a little too much forced family time. With school online, we rarely got to interact with people outside our house. Things are a little bit different now, restrictions have been eased, and more people are out of the house. With an updated online learning strategy, students can see their peers through a screen. This is a step forward, but is it enough? 

I for one have relied on school for the social interaction I need to grow, and most students can agree that seeing each other on a computer is not the same as talking to someone in person. This is why many RJR students have begun to do study groups, or gotten together and have zoom classes with their friends. Sophomore Frannie Wilson looks at this method as a way to have more fun. 

“It definitely makes school less of a burden,” Wilson said. Wilson describes herself as a hard worker and definitely wants to do well in school, but she doesn’t want school to keep her in a room by herself all day. Seeing friends or classmates can make the day feel more normal. If students were back in the classroom, they’d be together anyway. This also gives students a reason to get out of their bed earlier than 8:45. 

I consider being around my classmates a reason to work harder and a reason to be more motivated. It is easier for me to stay off my phone, because I have people around me working on the same assignments as myself. 

This method can be an issue when not handled correctly. School with classmates can be distracting and cause some people to work less. If that is the case, then they need to adjust their learning strategy and maybe find new people to work with or allow more days of individual work. I have found that the type of people you work with definitely change how motivated you are to complete assignments. It is all about finding the right group, and the right amount of time you should be getting together. Originally Wilson and her group of friends were working together everyday. They have since altered their schedule to make it more accessible and manageable,

“It got to be a lot, so now we are trying to be more relaxed about it,” Wilson said. She and her group now get together once or twice a week. This allows her to be social with her friends, while still paying attention and getting work done on her own. 

Wilson’s group is just one example of many different study groups finding a new way to cope with online school. There is a time and place for everything and while I prefer to work with my peers, it is completely understandable for other students to feel differently. This method may not work for everyone, but if you are longing for a little more normal this may help.