The Catalyst / Photo courtesy of Sam Doles
Sam Doles, junior at Mercy High School, Burlingame
Sam Doles, junior at Mercy High School, Burlingame
Since many schools have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many high school students are going to school online in what is called distance learning. Some of them communicate with their teachers via email or websites, like gClassroom and Schoology. Others participate in online classrooms via video conferencing apps, like Google Hangouts and Zoom. The Catalyst interviewed Sam Doles, a junior at Mercy High School in Burlingame, about her experiences going to school online.
The Catalyst (TC): What’s a typical day of school like for you?
Sam Doles (SD): A typical day of school depends on whether it’s an A or B day. But, for A day,s I start with Physics, Math, lunch, afterward, I have Spanish and AP [English] Lang. On B days, I have AP Psychology, US History, lunch, and then collab. I go to classes all on Zoom as if it were a regular day at school.
TC: How are you coping with social distancing and keeping in touch with your friends?
SD: Personally for me, I don’t take social distancing pretty well. I do find it effective, but I personally don’t like it. I also always use FaceTime to keep in touch with my friends, and we have a lot of fun.
TC: Do you prefer online school or do you miss going to campus at Mercy?
SD: I actually really miss going to Mercy. I prefer seeing my teachers in real time, so I can ask them questions instead of emailing them waiting for a response. I really miss seeing my friends everyday.