By EMILY PRINSTEIN

After a little over five months of online school, children all over the world have been negatively impacted by the lack of socialization, absence of in depth learning and failure to find positivity. During online classes, the grades of many students have seen a negative stride in comparison to previous grades. Many feel as if they are falling behind in reading and math due to the lack of interpersonal communication. 

“You aren’t in a classroom, [so] it’s really hard to focus with all the other noises,” said Emma Ainsworth, a senior at Citrus Valley High school.

Featured is a desk that is similar to one that many students face on a daily basis. Students have also been forced to face a difficult school year that can lead to loneliness and stress (Emily Prinstein/ Ethic Photo).

Many students have failed to turn in assignments due to the confusion on things such as due dates, where to turn in the assignment and even unclear instructions on how to complete them. Among the schools that have initiated online learning is Iowa State University, which notes that “without the routine structures of a traditional class, students may get lost or confused about course activities and deadlines.”

Teachers use different platforms for their students to turn in assignments, which can become confusing and overwhelming for their students. Many of these platforms are new to students such as Kami, Google Classroom, Edulastic and many others.

“Sometimes it can be confusing turning in many different assignments on all of the different platforms, and at times it causes me to forget to turn things in,” said Hayley Prinstein, a senior at CVHS.

During online school, many students also leave early from their classes while some do not show up at all. Students do this because they are unmotivated and believe their teachers won’t notice. 

Because of the lack of structure in distance learning, many students have resorted to cheating on tests and assignments. While their grades may show that they are doing well with online learning, it may be a different story at home. This greatly affects how students learn, and as they move onto further and higher learning they are not going to be prepared due to the way they have adapted during distance learning. 

Another issue that has arisen is the home life of some students. It is apparent that students need somewhere they can go to study and focus. While at home, some students struggle to find this place due to siblings, pets and other factors. 

In some cases, students may also not have access to all of the supplies they need such as not being able to access the internet. This causes significant disruptions to many student’s learning, and will only escalate further problems with assignments and tests. 

Overall, online learning has had its ups and downs for many students. While some schools hope to re-open their doors soon, students will have to make do with distance learning until then.