For the first time being back at school is more of a debate than just a requirement. With COVID-19 still being around and infecting people, being back at school feels unsafe for some and more of a relief for others. To get some more opinions I decided to interview two of our counselors here at Edison to see their thoughts on being back at school. 

  First, I started off with the most basic yet surprisingly controversial question for the past few weeks, “What are your thoughts on being back to school?”. Ms. Chang started off by saying “It’s been rough indeed…for everyone.” She mentions how she loves seeing her colleagues but how a part of her feels as though we should’ve stayed inside a bit longer for safety reasons.  

Our online school year was smooth sailing for some students but for others it was more challenging. We all made mistakes online and at the same time learned many things. This all led me to my next question “Is there anything you learned from our online school year?”. Mr. Lee says, “I learned that students, teachers, and parents are resilient and capable of making adjustments on the fly.” 

Like I mentioned previously some students have a more challenging time when it comes to school. So, I asked for some advice. Ms. Chang says, “Don’t let excuses become a habit”. She also mentions speaking out if you need help. She further explains “Reaching out to someone is super powerful, but you have to do it for yourself.” 
When it comes to advice Mr. Lee says something similar and states “Counselors are working diligently to connect with their students to review credits, but students can be proactive and reach out with their questions as well.”. He also says, to work hard and stay on track the best you can.  

As a whole our counselors work very hard to ensure we graduate and succeed. Last year created a multitude of challenges for many people but, like Ms. Chang says both students and teachers have discovered who they are and what they can achieve. My hope for this school year is that we can all adjust the best we can and try our hardest to be successful regardless of the circumstances. Because like Mr. Lee pointed out, many students do need the in-person interaction. So I hope that this year helps as many students as possible with their education.