Ten years from now, I am going to be a member of the “Covid Kids” generation–the ones who didn’t go to traditional school for nearly a year (or longer) and never made up ground after that.

The losses will be detrimental to society once this generation is the one responsible for this country.

Every year the new senior class gets a hard case of senioritis. This is where the students lose motivation during the school year. Now with COVID 19 this so-called senioritis is at an all-time high and it has struck many of us well before spring 2021.

The future’s looking bleak.

Many of my friends, including seniors and juniors, are giving  minimal effort to their work and just want to get out of high school. Then what?

Even though many students’ grades are above what they normally are, I believe a lot of those “good grades” teachers see is enhanced by cheating from the internet. I believe students are achieving grades, but they aren’t actually learning. 

That loss of learning will make college harder and impact careers.

The lack of learning, combined with the the long term effects of this lonely feeling can mess with students’ mental health, as many have felt alone during this hard time that has been placed on our shoulders. Good mental health and motivation is key for the future.

What could schools do to change to get a student’s motivation back? 

Mrs. Tracy Bozzonetti, art and yearbook teacher, said,  “Students should be required to turn on their cameras. I think that this would help get the students back into work mode because many do not do anything during class.” 

Getting students engaged through a camera could be a big step up. FCPS leadership  should consider not having cameras on as an absence from class, which will make the students want to get on the call no matter how much they dread it.

We do not have a choice but to do online school, and it’s everyone’s first time.  I imagine school 10 years from now will be a smoother blend of the in-person and online mode.  We will look back at the rough start and be amazed.

So what is the hate towards online school? The problems consist of not being able to talk to teachers as easily, WiFi issues, not being around friends, having everything be online and so much more.

“I lack the motivation for school because I’m not learning anything. It just feels like I’m doing work by due dates, and I dread attending my online classes,” Urbana senior Devin Hackett said. 

Even though many students know how important school is to their future, there are questions about the future that no one really knows the answers to.

Many seniors around the country are scared because we are uncertain of what the future holds. College may start online once again, and many kids and parents may not want to pay the high tuition fees that college holds. 

These uncertainties weigh on seniors’ minds and impact performance and decision-making..

Yet if the vaccines are successful and the country is set on course for reopening in the near future, there is reason for optimism.

A member of the 2021 senior class Mitchell Parker said, “I do have motivation for school because I want to go to college and need to have good grades to get there. I feel like I would have even more motivation if I were actually within school though.”

Parker thinks seniors may be a little bit more motivated once we hit the hybrid system. FCPS plans to have students attend two days of school a week at half capacity. 

For me, waking up and being in school at 7:00 a.m. is going to be a motivating factor. As a member of this new lost generation, I just hope that the loss isn’t too great.