How Crofton High School Students are dealing with the Pandemic

On March 16, 2020, Anne Arundel County shut down all schools for two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, almost 9 months later, students are still dealing with the pandemic and its major effects on everyday life. Crofton High School was supposed to open its doors for the first time in August, but because of the pandemic, Crofton High School’s doors remain closed.

School

85% of the six students interviewed said that school was a big source of stress. Crofton High School freshman Caroline O’Neill said that “Teachers haven’t been good about communicating during virtual school,” but not everyone feels this way. Freshman Arya Shah feels as though “The teachers have been very encouraging and reassuring during these unprecedented times and that makes e-learning easier.” Along with teachers, it is also very difficult to communicate with classmates in a virtual environment. Students have said it is hard to juggle all the assignments given during virtual school but that organization and time management make virtual learning easier.

Mental Health 

Mental health has always been an issue, but the pandemic seems to have made it worse. Crofton High School ninth-grader Bailyn Smith said that she has had ADHD her whole life and that is something she has learned to cope with, but being alone for so long during quarantine she has developed bad anxiety. “I was just alone for so long without seeing people and without getting to talk to people that things got really hard,” shared Smith. Many students feel as though the pandemic has negatively affected their mental health. Two anonymous students even shared that they started therapy because of it. 

Socialization

Staying in touch with friends has been difficult during the quarantine. Students said that they FaceTime their friends or hang out in person while abiding by social distancing guidelines, but it is just not the same. Making new friends has also been difficult. Ninth-grader Essie Murphy shared that “It’s just harder to make new friends because school is a big part of making friendships.” Ninth-grader Eric Severin also feels as though he is “missing out on a lot of friendships” Students feel like they are missing opportunities to form new friendships not just because of virtual school but because of other extracurricular activities being canceled as well. 

Silver Lining

Despite the losses and difficulties of the Pandemic students have found some positives in this unique experience. Bailyn Smith added that “Over quarantine, I really changed in a good way. I found myself more, and I appreciated things more, and I just became an overall better person.” Arah Shah shared about her positive experiences as well “I got to spend so much time with my family.  My dad and I worked out every day and I cooked with my mom and my brother and I didn’t fight a lot which was surprising. I mean obviously, I’ll remember that it was a hard time, but I will keep all the good memories with me for the rest of my life”