Online classes and I have this strange and complicated relationship. We still love and need each other, but there is this lingering idea that there was supposed to be something better, and now it’s gone because we took it for granted. This is about me and my love triangle with online learning and face-to-face learning, how it all started and affected us as students and especially as seniors.

In the past, we felt exhausted from a never-ending cycle: waking up early, brushing our teeth, and the occasional bath. Some of us were lucky enough to enjoy a comfortable seat with air conditioning while riding in our respective cars or services while others needed to commute just to get to school: riding buses or jeeps packed with people, making them feel exhausted as they arrived. Then came the seemingly endless activities our school would give, may it be academic or non-curricular. We would even feel uneasy when there was no homework, but even though this may sound repetitive or irritating, it still has its charms: The joy you experience when seeing your classmates, the ability to tell and rant to your friends about how hectic the Monday schedule is, the temptation to go downstairs and eat the newly cooked veggie fritters while waiting for the next teacher, or even looking outside at the window and admiring the rain as it falls wishing Gov Pogi to make his move.

Now here we are, discovering that online learning is a different beast. I find some tasks challenging to do due to poor connectivity. It’s also difficult to stare at the screen for 8 hours straight as it irritates my eyes. Even though the school is trying its best to provide activities such as Kahoot, presentations, simulations, etc. to create an interactive and knowledge-filled environment, it still isn’t able to match the thrill that normal classes give, whether it may be good or seemingly naughty. We’ve realized how face-to-face learning is still superior. This may be due to the lack of interaction that online learning provides. However, we’re uncertain when we’ll be able to experience face-to-face classes again. The quarantine protocols being implemented are always being changed twice a month, so it’s difficult to assume that it will be allowed and required again at any time.

It’s natural for us to reminisce. As an old chapter of our lives starts to slowly close, the mark will always be there as a reminder of acceptance to all the events, including our graduation, which were handicapped by the pandemic. The feeling of loss for the fact that we may have unknowingly seen our friends and classmates for the last time, and being unable to say a proper goodbye. Not all things stay the same, and the changes this pandemic caused made us realize that we need to move on and adjust. People try to go on with their lives despite the situation, so let’s do the same in every way possible, as there might be something better to look forward to.