Going to school every day was a normal thing. Until it wasn’t…

 The months away from everyday life made me realize really how much I truly enjoyed school. The atmosphere was loud and welcoming and I got to hangout with friends for seven hours of the day. I was eager to go back but was scared because everything had changed. We had become silent while being at home remote for many months. When they announced we would return part-time I jumped for joy.

 The night before, the tv was sounding, clothes were thrown everywhere, and there was complete chaos inside my house. Standing around in thought, I tried to calm my nerves because I wasn’t even at school yet. Finally, I chose my outfit and got to bed at a decent time. In the morning I was surprisingly calm. The music was playing, making me excited to finally see my friends and teachers at school. When I arrived I met up with my close friends and talked in the car for a little before it was time to go in. Chatting in the car, we all had the same thoughts. Excited but scared. Prairie Ridge High School, which had been empty for a year, finally had students roaming in the building. 

When I got to my first class, Spanish, it was dead silent. Eyes were wondering to distract from the awkwardness. You could hear a pin drop from a mile away. Normally multiple people would be talking but now it was just the teachers. We all didn’t know how to act or socialize like we once had. As I moved from class to class I saw people I once said hi to in the halls and we acted as if we didn’t even know each other. At this point, I started to rethink feeling excited and just felt out of place. This school, which once was loud in the halls and enjoyable, made me realize how much everything had changed. And the change was not for the better. The only good thing is that I wasn’t alone. Everybody else was feeling the same way. 

Fast forward many months to August 2021 and things have gotten much better. Walking in the halls we smile to each other under our masks. We are finally able to socialize and talk to people normally which has allowed us to gain back those key social skills.

This narrative, written for College & Career Writing with Mr. Stastny, answers the question “What was life like for students?” during the last school year.