When Covid-19 took over the world in March, it brought a multitude of challenges for everyone. The reopening of schools in September brought an additional set of difficulties and restrictions for students; these restrictions had a large impact on many, but especially on freshmen in high schools all across America, many of whom had to transition to a new school in quite abnormal circumstances.

Freshman year is a critical year for high school students. Many branch out from the social circles they have had since kindergarten, making new friends with whom they will experience high  school for the next four years. However, the restrictions of this year have made making friends more challenging than usual.

The hybrid learning model, classroom setup, and social distancing parameters each creates its own set of challenges for socialization. The hybrid model in which students attend school on opposite days based on their last name is helpful in limiting class size and encouraging social distancing. However, this means that students are only ever in school with half of their grade at any given time, limiting the opportunities to meet new friends who do not attend on the same days. The classrooms currently restrict interactions between students, as the desks are far apart, there are plastic dividers between each of them, and the few kids in class are spread out across the room. In non-Covid times, group projects presented important opportunities for students to get to know one another. However, this year, in-school group projects, science experiments, and collaborative work are no longer deemed safe and therefore no longer happen.

Beyond restrictions within the school building, students face additional limitations outside of school. The usual weekend gatherings in which freshmen have an opportunity to get to know one another are no longer allowed. When asked how she as been affected by the range of restrictions, freshman Gianna Taverna commented, “This year, it’s harder to hang out with friends outside of school since we are trying to limit the spread of the virus.”

The lack of any in-school social interaction can bring an additional set of challenges to students who are fully remote. While the model works well for some, health professionals, educators, and students throughout the country have emphasized the mental health impact that preventing students from being in school can have. A Jan. 24, 2021, New York Times article entitled, “Surge of Student Suicides Pushes Las Vegas Schools to Reopen” highlighted the problem, stating, “Since schools shut their doors in March, an early-warning system that monitors students’ mental health episodes has sent more than 3,100 alerts to district officials, raising alarms about suicidal thoughts, possible self-harm or cries for care. By December, 18 students had taken their own lives.”

When asked about how she has been affected mentally, fully remote student freshman Grace Loiselle noted, “Having no in-school interaction with my peers has affected my mental health. The stress of school is sometimes taken away by the fun of interacting with your peers, but being home without the interaction makes the stress of school more noticeable.”

While there is no doubt that Covid limitations have impacted students’ abilities to interact with one another, teachers have devised creative ways to ensure engagement. In many classes, teachers use the breakout rooms feature on WebEx, requiring the in-school students to join the WebEx to break into virtual groups with the students at home. This method works well in that it encourages discussion among all the students, both at home and in school. 

Another opportunity for students to interact with peers is through the many clubs that LHS offers. All clubs this year are running remotely, allowing every student to be involved. Students in school have also come up with ways to safely interact with one another. When asked how students in school are interacting with each other, hybrid freshman Stephanie Neri said, “Some ways that people are socially interacting are playing school sports, eating out at lunch, and people have more opportunities to interact in classes like art and gym.” Although there are challenges, making friends and interacting as a freshman during the time of Covid-19 can still be possible.