Isolation and quarantine are words that have become so regular and “normal” in the past year. Some of us had probably never heard the word quarantine before, and now it has become a dreaded word that we try to avoid at all costs. It reminds us of the pandemic that seems never ending and all of the lives lost over this year. It has affected mental health and raised awareness in ways we weren’t aware of. Everyone has had a different experience, but there is no doubt that we have all struggled during this time. Whether you’ve had COVID or been closely in contact with a loved one who did, or you’ve really struggled with zoom and online school, there is no denying that quarantine has had a significant impact on all of us.

While most of us have been able to return back to school most days of the week, there are still some students who choose to stay full time virtual students. Whether students have parents who work in high-risk situations or family members who are more at risk for the virus, there are a handful of students who have stayed a full virtual student this whole year. Michaela Cooper, a sophomore at Nerinx Hall, is an all virtual student and has not been at school in person since March 2020. Being stuck at home all day and staring at a screen for hours a day can have an extreme impact on your life. At the beginning of this school year, Michaela said that it was very hard on her mental health and she said, “I used to have a lot of bad days where I felt really stressed.” As school went on, she found a routine that helped her a lot with school and that motivated her to set goals and get her work done. Staying in touch with friends can also be really difficult when you are stuck at your house everyday and not able to go to school to see your friends. Human interaction is so important and it is definitely something that has been taken for granted in the past. While we are at school, we are constantly talking to the people around us and that is a luxury that those who are all virtual are not able to experience as much. 

Although there are many negative aspects to being all virtual, Michaela says there are some things that she has really enjoyed. Free periods and ten-minute breaks in between classes are more enjoyable in the comfort of your own home. She says, “Being comfortable is also a convenience of being at home.” There is more freedom to how you structure your day, and for Michaela that includes getting her homework done as soon as she can. There have also been many things that we’ve learned about ourselves while we stay at home and spend more time alone that usual. Michala says, “I’ve learned to adapt and be patient with myself.” Positive lessons that have been learned and wearing comfortable clothes at home are just a few of the benefits that come with being an all virtual student, although there is another side that comes with struggles. 

Being in quarantine is a struggle, especially for all virtual students who are not able to get the same human interaction that those who go to school most days get. Through online school, mental health struggles, and lots of bad days by yourself, quarantine can seem never-ending. Although this pandemic has caused lots of struggles for all of us, there is always something positive that we can take away from it. For example, a lot of us have probably learned to have better time management skills because of being at home so much for school. We’ve learned to have better patience with ourselves and the world around us. To conclude, we have all struggled through quarantine, but there are always happy things that we can take away from bad experiences.