Many different school events, such as homecoming, pep rallies, football games and even lingering between classes to chat, were things that students could’ve never dreamed of being a normal part of everyday school life during the pandemic. The pandemic created a harder environment for students to be social in school because of the lack of interactions, but slowly students are easing out of their comfort zones. Many feel they’re slowly closing the gap that opened because of the pandemic due to different social environments, including making more friends or even asking questions in class. Compared to when the whole school year was entirely online, many students agree they’ve improved socially throughout the previous and current school years.

The social aspect of the pandemic was a surprise for all ages, no one expected the hard struggle to adjust to a more “normal” life after the lockdown. It was an isolation that cut off society for every single person. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), about 87% of public schools have stated that the “COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted student socio-emotional development during the 2021-22 school year.”

Many students have mentioned that they were able to get out of their comfort zone this school year more than last school year. Some lost and gained different friends throughout the way, but now became a stronger and more social version of themselves, such as an anonymous junior at ERHS that mentioned that throughout the school year, she’s become more comfortable in school. She elaborated that she’s “started to become more open and talkative to those that [she doesn’t] know, despite being an introvert”, which is a strength to be noted. This is a positive outlook for many students that want to be comfortable in different social situations.

Seniors this year had an unexpected high school experience, as they started freshman year as normal, but now they’re leaving high school on an unexpected note. When asked about the struggles of senior year, an anonymous senior at ERHS mentioned her “hardest struggle had to be deciding where [she] wanted to apply to college, choosing [her] major, and getting accustomed to classes at school while also trying to get [her] driver’s license and maybe a job.¨ She elaborated, saying that it’s hard “overall being a senior; growing up and leaving your friends and family and having A LOT more responsibilities.”

It´s not easy to have a very unexpected high school experience, but don´t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Try something new you´ve been afraid to do and it might become easier over time. This could include something in school or something outside of school. Don’t have any regrets to look back to on your high school years.