Why are Students Struggling so Much in School?

By: Noa Rodgers '27

At this point, lockdown began almost four years ago. A lot has happened since then. The class of 27’ started middle school in lockdown. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade are grades where grades do not count towards the ‘final’ GPA in school. Being aware of this, many students didn’t put in as much effort as they do now. The class of 2027 has just started ninth grade, and a lot has changed since we began middle school such as the academic performance of students and their mentality.

Ninth grader TJ Lane says, “When we came back, it was kinda weird since we weren’t used to it.” After the years of at-home-schooling, everything was extremely different, and students were all unsure about absolutely everything. “We had a reset…now that we are out of COVID, I think everybody’s starting to focus on their work…but they’re also not quite adjusted yet, because COVID kind of threw us off our course.” Being in lockdown was difficult. A lot of students didn’t learn a lot over COVID because of their lack of motivation, but when we got back to school, they were thrown back into the stricter routine of workload, tests, and grades. Sure, we had all of those things in online learning, but it was nowhere near as rigorous as it is in person. There is a lot of pressure that comes with coming back to school and starting highschool. Any feelings of stress or anxiety students had in seventh or eighth grade are enhanced.

Another thing that has changed a lot before and after COVID is kids’ mentalities; their outlooks on school, their mental health, and anything in between. An anonymous student states, “I started thinking more about my career, and so on, so if I had to say, my view on academics did get better.” Numerous students weren’t paying attention to the work they were given during online school. It was easy to turn down the volume, turn off your video, and do absolutely anything you wanted. Back in person, if you come to class, you have to pay attention. There are assignments and tests coming from every direction, and things can pile up very quickly.

With that being said, it is important for students, not only incoming high schoolers, but for all students to stay on track. Although challenges may arise, and although it may be easier to slack off, a student’s hard work and effort in school will pay off in the long run.