After a long year of blank Zoom screens, isolated classes, and monotonous lectures, students and staff have finally returned to in-person learning. This lengthy period of online school has led to worsening study behaviors amongst students, with a heavy reliance on notes and the internet. Along with this, the mental health of students has severely declined since the pandemic and the school system have not given students the individual attention needed to get them back to their previous mindsets.
Many students were forced to quit sports and extracurricular activities as a result of this world wide shutdown, losing a significant part of their high school experience. According to the CDC, this period of isolation has caused an increase in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and OCD. The CDC also reports that although younger students typically adjust to change better, middle schoolers and older students have taken the adjustment quite hard and are finding it rather difficult to get through this tough transition.
In tandem with the cut-back on extracurricular activities, the lack of opportunity and social exposure has caused Montgomery County residents and other individuals to lose friends, financial support, and life satisfaction. This harsh transition has offset the schedules and daily routines of thousands of people, making it almost impossible to remain relaxed.
To help with the transition back, many schools have started various initiatives. Some have adjusted schedules to give students an hour-long period every Friday to reflect, while others have certain Wednesdays set aside for students to catch up on work. Newly formed clubs and support groups are devoted to helping students make friends and connections. Although these initiatives are accommodating for students during this hard time, the mental health of students is continuing to decline.
There are hundreds of thousands of students in each school district and nowhere near enough staff members to provide each of them with enough attention. In order to fully catch up and return to pre-pandemic schooling, each student will need support that the school system can not give them. Instead of relying on the school administration, families should help their children get back into a routine. The normality of a routine can help relieve some stress from students, resulting in fewer mental health issues.
According to Active Minds, over 20 percent of students reported their mental health worsened due to the impacts of COVID-19. Nearly 50 percent of families have experienced a large financial setback leading to stress, and almost 80 percent of students are still struggling to find their way back to a routine. Eight in 10 students are continuing to struggle with focusing in school and avoiding distractions. Although our school system is trying its best to accommodate returning students, nobody is taking the time to ask students individually how they are feeling.
Schools’ influences and alterations are not the only reason why students are having such a difficult time re-adjusting. Homelife and finances have drastically changed since COVID-19, thus influencing the everyday lives of students. With all of the many aspects of trauma influencing the mental health of students, it is hard to get the lives and mindsets of individuals back to exactly what they were before the coronavirus struck. However, between the adjustments made to the school system and homelife, we might be able to get close to returning back to our best selves.
Written by Madeline Leff of Bethesda Chevy Chase High School
Photo by May Pham of Walter Johnson High School