With the COVID-19 pandemic raging on throughout the 2020-21 school year, many students and even staff members find it to be challenging to cope with stress. About a month ago, I released a Google Form to my classmates in 9th grade Global Studies. In this Google Form, I asked some simple questions, such as whether they were virtual or hybrid, their viewpoints on school, and ways they have coped with stress. As a result of this experiment, I was able to step into others’ shoes for a while.

The first question I wanted to find out about was the percentage of students in hybrid or virtual on that specific date (about a month ago). Out of the 22 responses I received, about 64% (14) were hybrid. 36% (8) were virtual. After asking a few other questions such as how each student’s experience has been so far, I wanted to know each person’s coping strategies. Some responses include keeping an agenda, having a good cry once in a while, chatting with friends online, and managing time well. In other responses, people mentioned that they used methods that would help distract one for a while such as binge-watching Netflix, waking up late, or going for a run. Every response provided introduced me to some new ideas, and they will hopefully show others ways to manage their mental health during these difficult times.

I also was curious to see how challenging it has been for others to adjust to school. Out of the 22 responses, 68% (15) responded that it has been harder to adjust to learning virtually. About 32% (7) said that they have not had a harder time adjusting. For myself, in the first marking period, I had a difficult time learning virtually, but it began to become second-nature and with the correct organization, it was possible to keep up with. 

Finally, I wanted to see how my classmates would like the school to help out. This includes ways that FTHS can make it easier for students to cope and try to limit their anxieties. Some responses from this question include, “Since many students lack social interaction due to virtual (learning), maybe there could be meets per grade level to get to know others. In addition, the extra help sessions after school are a huge help”. Another response provided was, “I’m not too sure entirely on specifics, but I would like to see more mental health opportunities throughout the school week. Being in a pandemic takes a mental toll on the entire school community, so stress-relief in any capacity would give us time to take a deep breath in these unprecedented times.” The last response given was, “Give us 1-2 days a month for mental health days because we are spending so much time on our screens and there is so much stress building up and 1 or 2 days a month will only help improve our experiences.” Many of the responses said that they believe the school is doing a great job with helping out students. Thank you FTHS for a great school year so far, and thank you to everyone who was a part of the poll!