In order to know more about students’ thoughts about changes in their school life since the pandemic struck, I interviewed several high school students to hear about their opinions. Due to some personal opinions and personal information, the names of these interviewees remain anonymous. So, let’s see what some of the high school students think!
How has the pandemic affected you in terms of student life?
The majority of the students replied “nothing” at first, since they believe that Taiwan is very safe and not many changes have been made after the pandemic. After some follow-up questions, some added that they encountered difficulties in adjusting their time to manage their college applications, standardized tests, outside school activities and opportunities, etc. Due to the pandemic, some SAT / AP test centers were canceled, which had a massive impact on students who needed their scores for admission purposes in a timely manner. Other than schoolwork, one of the respondents also mentioned that they were not able to participate in inter-school competitions, such as the World Scholar’s Cup (WSC). Two other students also said they lost the chance to visit college campuses, attend summer camp, or volunteer for their community because they were all canceled. These students lamented at the loss of these opportunities that deprived them of experiences outside school, or spend their summer productively as they had hoped.
What are some new changes in school after the pandemic? How do you feel about such changes?
The pandemic has also caused students to lose opportunities to participate in both intramural and intermural events. For example, students from other schools were unable to join us during Masquerade Night. Our school also canceled the DISMUN conference, etc. Respondents think that it is a pity, but they believe is necessary and effective to monitor the pandemic conditions. Since the onset of the pandemic, our school has established new regulations for everyone on campus to follow, such as wearing masks, sanitizing hands, and putting a stamp on our hands to ensure the safety of all. Two students responded that the requirement for the stamps isn’t useful and is inconvenient. Some students encountered allergic reactions because of the stamp ink. As a result, the two respondents think some regulations should not be required, and making some changes is necessary to make the process more effective.Â
What are your thoughts about having online assemblies?
There were two main responses to this question. A group of students thought that having online assemblies is beneficial and they love the idea. They said that having online assemblies will save time for students to gather in the gym since it was the most time-consuming process when we were having normal assemblies. Within the affirmative, some students think that online assemblies are great ideas for personal reasons. Students pointed out online assemblies do not seem to be as serious as the in-person ones, and therefore, they have opportunities to do their own tasks during this time. At the same time, it is not a surprise to hear concerns from students who dislike having online assemblies. These students raised concerns about the majority of students not being attentive during the assembly. These students believed the main cause might be the technical difficulties that often disrupt the assembly livestreams. Technical difficulties such as lack of sound or the camera out of focus, which resulted in students’ losing patience and attention to the announcements. For this reason, one respondent expressed that having announcements posted on the newsletter might be more effective and useful compared to those done through online assemblies.
If there isn’t COVID-19, what do you think you will be doing now? Is there any difference from what you are doing currently?
All respondents replied that they would be traveling if it were not for the pandemic, but the reasons varied depending on the grade levels. Upper-grade students pointed out that they would visit colleges and participate in more extracurricular activities for college applications. On the other hand, students who are not preparing for college yet would have liked to travel for relaxation and enjoyment. Other than traveling, two students indicated that they would have participated in the WSC competitions and MUN conferences. Another unique response was to take SAT tests at DIS. Due to the pandemic, DIS decided to not hold SAT testing in school, which has inconvenienced some DIS students. Some may need to travel to other cities such as Tainan, Taichung, Hsinchu, etc. for the tests. This not only makes it necessary for the test takers to travel a farther distance but also to familiarize themselves in a short span of time time in unfamiliar environments. All these effects may result in students not being able to perform their best. Hopefully, travel restrictions and test center issues will be in better condition next year.
As a student, what are some obstacles that you encountered in the past few months due to the pandemic?
Senior students expressed that they have been greatly affected by the pandemic. The most significant obstacle for most senior respondents is that college applications become more complicated and difficult. Most universities no longer require standardized tests, which means more fierce competition in other areas. As mentioned earlier in other questions, some seniors also say that they are not able to visit colleges, so they missed the opportunity to take a look at the environment before entering the campus of their college career. Back to school experience, two respondents recalled their online school experience earlier this year. Back then, we had two weeks of online school due to the pandemic. Both students mentioned difficulties in getting higher grades since it was difficult to communicate and learn lessons in such circumstances. Furthermore, many teachers expected a lot from students. Most teachers believed students were very free during that period of time, so they assigned loads of homework. In such cases, students were not given the chance to learn the lessons properly. Respondents mostly stated their concerns for college applications or the unwillingness of having online school again because of the aforementioned obstacles that they have faced in the past few months.
