Some students at RCHS were apprehensive about coming back to in-person learning. While the adjustment was easier for some, other students are struggling and still have anxiety and social issues about being back on campus. Many students have had stress with their classes being so far away from each other and the mask policy. 

A freshman on campus who wishes to remain anonymous spoke about her first couple of weeks on campus.

“It was very crowded. I didn’t know many people,’’ she said.

This year has put a lot of pressure and difficulty on some students from doing distance learning classes to in-person classes. Many students say they prefer homeschooling and distance learning over in-person learning because it’s easier and puts a lot of less stress on them since they can do their work on their own time.

“[Remote learning was] less stressful and lets me work on my own time,” she said.

She prefers doing distance learning rather than going to school and doing in-person learning classes. She said, “Preferably I rather do zoom or be homeschooled.’’

According to her, more students at RCHS prefer distance learning over in-person learning, and that students’ anxiety and mental health levels have surged with coming back from distance learning, and seeing friends for the first time in a year.

She said, “My mental health is not good but not bad, I’m just getting through it.” 

She is one of the many students struggling with coming back to school.

A senior on campus who also wishes to remain anonymous said he is excited to be back at school because he prefers in-person over distance. He said learning ’In-person learning because, “you experience more with everything that is going on, while distance learning you can’t interact more.’’ 

For more details about student mental health, please visit RCHS Mental Health Awareness (@rchsmha) – Instagram for more information.