After being away from school for so long, could seniors be at a disadvantage from not learning as much and completing their work becomes an obstacle due to the 16 months of online schooling?

Adjusting to the change from face-to-face learning to face-to-screen learning caused some difficulties with education. One of the challenges  students faced was being able to engage in their classes and trying to  pass all of their classes with a passing grade. During our extended “break”  many students were left un-motivated, working behind the screen. 

In a survey of 100 LN students, 19% report  failing one or more classes, which meant students started their senior year off by retaking classes. 

“My grades last year compared to my sophomore year were super bad,” said senior Grant Kahler. “I was constantly behind in all of my classes and even failed a class which I had never done before.” 

Junior year for current seniors was challenging in more ways than one. 

Senior Crisstia Bowden said that her GPA last year compared to years prior reflected her bad feeling towards the year of virtual schooling. 

“[It] made me feel dumb because what they were telling me was going in one ear and out the other,” said Bowden.

Academic challenges can be made even harder when you know you only have one year left. Instead of taking fun elective classes and enjoying the last bit of time seniors have here in high school, seniors are retaking required classes that are causing them to be less engaged with the social aspect of their senior year. 

In the same Knight Life survey, over 39%of seniors reported failing their required math class for last year and are retaking those classes again this year or choosing another route with taking the test-out option at the administration building or enrolling in gradpoint. 

Jayda Smith said, “Last year was really challenging for me because I had a hard time adapting to virtual school.”   

Although Smith is primarily okay with the grades on her transcript, she would not take the risk of applying to college with the grades she has currently on her transcript.  

“I’m waiting on my grades from this trimester first,” Smith said. 

For seniors, this is their last year to get anything fixed in order to be ready to graduate and apply to college. Most seniors don’t have the time to retake an extra class because they need other classes to meet the 26 credit requirement.