It’s beginning to dawn on us that 2020 is coming to an end. Full of surprises and unexpected events, 2020 has been a significantly, unusual year in history. As 2020 comes to a close, many are reflecting on the chaotic, unprecedented year.
“It was kind of fun. I like learning because I get to use so many things that I haven’t used before… but Covid-19 affected me the most. I was supposed to see my family [in Uganda], but I couldn’t, due to travel plans.” Chloe Centenary, a seventh grader from Ridgeview Middle School said.
Although she had noted how online learning had been stressful and had taken away some of her time to freely do other things, Centenary has made some time to relax in order to lower stress.
“I expect the virus to be cured… some people would be more careful… since they might be scared if it would spread again. Others will be safe once the vaccine comes out,” a seventh grader from Cabin John Middle School predicted, in response to what she had thought about next year.
She hopes for a better year, especially school – in which she constantly notes specific problems that interfere with her learning. In general, she wants to aim for a better chance to learn properly, despite virtual school.
Chloe Wharton, a seventh grader from Cabin John Middle School explained that she became more “smarter, independent, and responsible” but had begun to procrastinate more often and lacked diligence.
“I think it’s just Outdoor Ed(ucation) that was the most memorable… I didn’t really do anything special or go anywhere. But I don’t think I had any memorable moments,” Wharton said.
Despite this, Wharton hopes to be a better person and try to not become more lazy.
“The year was ok considering it is online as it has taken a toll on many students, including me. I have had nights where I was so tired and have had headaches because of the [extended time periods on the] computer. I understand what people are going through… overall the year has been weird, tough, but good enough to learn new things.” Allie Galdo, a seventh grader from Ridgeview Middle School noted. “I don’t have any resolutions this year because when you make one, you’re committing [to it], and with this year being hard enough, I don’t want to worry about anything else.”
As Galdo mentions her struggles throughout the year, eventually she knew to calm down and get through it all. “In this year, especially, you just have to stay calm because we don’t need any more craziness. So as for myself, I have become flexible and easy-going.”
Although many people have different thoughts of how the year was; whether it was an uneventful year or a difficult time period, sometimes we could hope for the next year to be best.
Article by Qwyen Le of Cabin John Middle School
Graphic by Khanh Nguyen of Richard Montgomery High School