The 2020 Quarantine has taken quite the toll on the mental health of students. Repeated routines make everyday feel the same, stale, and cold. Nothing new is being brought to the table and it’s catching up to every last one of us.
9:50 is a dreaded time for Logan students (even earlier for those with 0 periods). The morning begins with waking up halfway, brushing your teeth, maybe fitting in a meal, and starting up your computer for your first class. Waiting for the sound of the Zoom meeting to start is like waiting for a test grade. You’re terrified, but you want to get it over with. You sit up, try and look presentable, turn on the lights, and the bell tolls. You’re in. And so it begins.
Most teachers begin by greeting the students and saying good morning, but after that, the day has officially started. Assignments are discussed, homework is assigned, and test dates are surfaced. Oh and the fan favourite due date: TONIGHT AT 11:59PM. 11:59 seems to be the commonly hated number among everyone–and for a good reason. A lot of teachers simply assign and forget. Only seeing what work needs to be done, rather than what the students need done for themselves, is a toxic trend among educators. Teachers tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to workloads. Wanting students to complete their work on time so they can grade it and forget about it, and assigning vast amounts of homework that ultimately cuts into the rest time we have are some things many of us experience.
Large pile ups of incomplete work are one of the biggest discouragements we students face during virtual learning. Closing your last zoom period only to lay down and hear the ding of a new classroom assignment being posted, again due at 11:59, hurts us mentally. After sitting in front of a screen for 6 hours, tired, fatigued, and then having to do it for even more time because of all the homework assigned, can easily cause lack of motivation. It’s very understandable why students have incomplete work in classes. We just can’t keep up. A lot of students don’t even look forward to the weekends because teachers have been assigning homework over those 2 days that are dedicated to relaxing and resetting. It completely defeats the purpose of a weekend. It seems as if the “classroom” is becoming more of a place where we waste our days away. Our eyes hurt.
It’s hard to keep a positive mindset and attitude when everything around us is radiating negative energy. Feeling overwhelmed is an understatement for everyone. Collectively, it’s harder to keep up with our own happiness than with the work we’re given. There isn’t much room for us to sit back and breathe for a while. There’s no time to reset and nurture our personal problems and struggles. People are having trouble sleeping at night because their thoughts keep them up. There’s so much on their plate and not a stomach big enough to eat it all. Personally, I’ven’t come across a single person who is excited for the next day. Our days have been made for us, and not in a good way. We’re running out of time.
Mental health seemed to be this forgotten concept since the beginning of this school year and –honestly–throughout high school in general. Some teachers make a good effort in supplying the tools and time for students to better themselves but it’s hard to come by. Teachers should alter student curriculum and priorities to allow students to maintain a healthy and happy mind outside of the classroom. Self-care is the most important form of attention. You can’t give something else your all if you haven’t given yourself the same first. What you can do in the meantime is to take the time to appreciate yourself and things about you. Take days for you and no one else. Make decisions for yourself.
You matter.
