9th Graders Disappointed by Online High School

Survey results show that 9th graders enjoy their time during “live” advisory meetings.

By Berkeley Boyd
Staff Writer | The Pacific Times

NP3 High’s freshmen made the transition from middle school to high school online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pacific Times polled the freshman class about how they feel about starting their first year in high school online. Twenty-five 9th graders out of 167 responded to the online survey.

A majority of the freshmen who responded to The Pacific Times’ poll stated that they had expected school work to be much harder than what has been assigned during in-person classes.

Students reported that online learning assignments were easy and that their schedule allowed for a lot of free time, which they like.

One of the more common complaints about starting school online with the current block schedule, was how if a student misses one day of live sessions, they can be quickly overwhelmed until they have a chance to catch up over the weekend.

Some freshmen stated that they have found the live Zoom sessions and online work easier, but more boring and less interactive than in-person classes they were used to as 8th graders.

“…It’s so boring while in Zoom like everyone says, but to me, it just doesn’t feel like a class, class is much more spontaneous and more playful and interesting,” said Jessica, a freshman at Np3.

Other freshmen who responded to the poll indicated that a majority of Zoom and teacher interactions they have are good, but interactions such as answering questions live or getting help from the teacher, can be hard to do at times. Some students miss social interaction in general.

“I feel a little bit uneasy and lonely,” one responded. “I don’t get a lot of chances to socialize with people during distance learning.”

Many freshmen reported that they dislike online learning and wish that they could return to school in person so they can make more friends and have a traditional  high school experience.