Learning pods just started up on the NDB campus on February 1st. There are about 10 girls per pod on campus doing online school. Across the whole student body, there are many different opinions about them, especially within the learning pod girls. Some people do not think that the learning pods are helpful at all but others think that being on campus is very beneficial.

The Catalyst spoke to a few of the students who are in the learning pods to see what they thought about the experience.

Maggie O’Brien, a senior, talked about the best and worst parts of her first day in a learning pod

“The best part was definitely being able to see classmates and the new freshmen and having conversations with teachers. Learning pods restored a little bit of the on-campus community that I remember so fondly from back in March. I think the worst part is having technical issues as a result of sketchy wifi or low battery. In my last block of the day yesterday, my laptop died. I missed the main chunk of my AP Statistics class, which is important because we have an upcoming test.”

“The learning pods are a great way to get on campus and have a sense of normality back in our lives. Personally, they have been beneficial to my learning. I find that with other girls in the classroom – even though they are not necessarily in the same classes – I am more motivated to get work done,” said freshman Cat Ochoa. “The best part about the learning pods is getting to bond with the other girls. I find this especially helpful for the freshman like myself because this is our first time having the opportunity to really get to know one another. The worst aspect of the learning pods is having to wake up early to get to school, which I had forgotten was so difficult. Other than that, the amount of sanitizing we do gets to be annoying sometimes, but we all understand its necessity in keeping us all safe.”

When the invitations for the 2nd learning pod came out students are starting to think about whether they would want to join or not. Generally, most students do not want to go back until we are doing at least a hybrid model.

“I think our school should open up completely like many other high schools in our area. If we wear masks and get tested I think we will be safe and happy. I think pods and or going back to school would be extremely beneficial,” said senior Ashlin O’Riordan. “It is difficult to stay motivated while sitting in a room, but when surrounded by peers we can help each other out. Maybe in the next learning pod, I will join depending on how many seniors will go back.”

There are most definitely pros and cons to being in a learning pod and it all comes down to what are your priorities and how beneficial you think it would be to your learning.