Online v.s. in person: Which is better?

With Jemicy opening its doors for the year, school in the age of COVID has officially started. 

Out of over 200 students, only 33 are logging in from home. But which one do students prefer? I conducted a few interviews with some virtual students, and some in person students. Here’s what they had to say. 

“I’d say I’m more comfortable with going to school in my room. But if I had to choose between this year and last year, I’d definitely choose last year. It’s harder to absorb information and the transition from schoolwork to homework is instant and draining,” said Eli Greenwald, ‘21 who’s been working online since last March.

Wanting to go in person seems to be common among most virtual students. 

A unique perspective can come from the people who attended school this year, both online and in-person. 

“I miss in-person school because the interactions I have with the Jemicy community are much more personal and not the same online. The upside to online, however, is having full focus on school. Not having the social aspect of school is something I miss, but also it has forced me to be more focused on my work,” senior Abbey McQuillan admitted while virtually attending school.

I have since followed up with McQuillian since she returned to campus after starting out virtual.

“Although school isn’t the same as it was last year, I’m just excited to have the opportunity to be in school again. The policies don’t bother me because my main goal is to just stay healthy and safe!”

What about the people in person? With the mask policies, the one-way halls, and social aspects being a little bit different from the beginning of last year, do they think in-person learning was the right choice for them? Or would they prefer the way it was last spring?

“You can’t get close to people when you talk which is a challenge,” senior Andrew Loviglio-Wolf explained in an interview. He went on to propose that there’s a lack of human connection from behind the screen after the school went fully virtual for the first time this year.

Dylan Beckerman-Berman also started online and returned to Jemicy in October.

“I like both learning styles. Online is good and in person is good too. I would rather have classes like last year, but being in person this year is fine. I think everything is ok but lunch. Lunch is our break time during the day, and since we cannot play anything, we should be able to use our phones and such.”

When asked about how socializing with friends outside of class, students have expressed how difficult it is with new policies in place, and what they would do to help make it easier.

“I think that there should be areas that teachers are assigned to and students can request to be in that area,” said Beckerman-Berman ‘21 

It is clear that in-person classes are considered better for most of the students at Jemicy, and hopefully, we will have the entire student population back soon.