Little did we know that today was 5 years ago…  all Frederick County Schools were directed to close all Maryland schools.  For two entire weeks but little did we know that it would be the end of our in person learning for three whole years till it was declared to be done. Although it’s been 5 long years since the Covid-19 Outbreak happened it still was an unmemorable experience for several students who attended school during the Covid-19 outbreak. And yet still resonates an impact within students till this day.

The Sudden Change to Hybrid/Online Learning

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought an immense amount of changes in the education system back in the year of 2020. As, K-12 schools and colleges are announced to shut down due to the fact that the infectious disease that was being spread around among teachers and students causing changes in the education system for classes to be mandated to go virtual.

This sudden change of shift from in person to online caused many struggles towards students causing them to lack in schools and not engage in many lessons during virtual learning like Kaylyn Keller, a seventh grader at the start of the school closure, now a Brunswick senior, says, “Oh my god, I hated it.”

Regardless of how many students were disinterested in virtual learning hybrid learning introduced new ways of learning and also new various ways to connect with peers, especially during hybrid learning. It allowed students to have a flexible environment between home and school. 

The Overcoming the Challenges of Virtual learning and Hybrid learning Transitions

During virtual learning students faced numerous challenges during the transition from in person learning to online learning then having to choose between the option of participating in hybrid learning which allowed students to have a flexible schedule between various days of the week to do in person learning then back to virtual learning. Many students struggled to connect to Wi-Fi and had to find the needed devices till some of the schools offered the needed devices and Wi-Fi, trying to get the students to engage and stay attentive in class during like Lucy Caulton, a sixth grader at the start of the school closure but now a sophomore, says, “I played the two same games on repeat… I think I went insane and I kept eating frozen chicken nuggets everyday.”

Virtual Learning was the hardest for most students and teachers, especially sense students had multiple distractions at home and not being able to be face to face learning back again in school, including how some students didn’t even bother to show up to their classes. 

The Remaining Effects on Students Post Pandemic

The way the pandemic affected students from k-12 in many ways such as mentally and emotionally as well with struggling to focus  their own academics. Many students struggled mentally and physically at home while virtual learning was going on, especially adjusting to the new learning environment from home to school since the students did not have the option to do in person learning and having more or less interaction with others anymore. According to the National Institute of Health, “Children receiving remote and hybrid instruction were reported to have more difficulties compared to children receiving in-person instruction.”  Despite all the struggles students faced during virtual learning they still keep on thriving after surpassing the hardships of virtual learning.