A year after the pandemic, students in New Jersey have had the option to return virtual for the 2020-2021 school year. However, Governor Murphy announced the executive order put in place will expire by the end of this school year. Schools will no longer be able to provide students with the choice of whether or not to return to in person learning, as there will no longer be an option come the 2021-2022 school year. Change is inevitable, but it can be a nerve-wracking process for those who have remained virtual for over a year now. I had the chance to ask students their opinions about returning to the building for the next school year.

Taha Touil

I personally don’t really feel that anxious about going back to school. I’ve gotten both of my vaccination shots so I’m not too worried about catching COVID-19 and if I’d get terribly sick. Being virtual also meant that I couldn’t really socialize with my friends, so I would love to go back to school and see them again. However, I am worried about my fellow classmates’ health. It is safe to say that a lot of students will disregard safety regulations at school and possibly get others sick. Even so, I don’t really feel any kind of anxiety about myself returning to school. 

Julia Sikorski 

As a virtual student, I believe that after an entire school year of sitting at home and going through a global pandemic, I am ready to go back into the school in person by next year. I did have concerns about the health and safety of everyone, however, with the shots and the precautions that were taken for so much time now, I believe that society is ready to get back into the normal routine as we had before. This is especially so for me, because next year I will be a senior in high school, and I do not want to waste more time than we already have, and I want to make memories and not regret anything done. I am very excited for the new school year and believe it will be a great renewal for everyone. 

Sophia Serra

I don’t think I’ll be anxious or nervous returning to school in person even though I’ve been virtual this whole school year. It’ll be a bit strange to be around tons of people again after sitting at home alone staring at a computer screen all day, but I think a lot of people are feeling the same so it won’t be as difficult. I’d like to believe that I’m ready to go back to what we had before, but I know that it’s not going to be the same and that’s to be expected. The only thing I’m nervous about is the safety of all the other students, because I can’t control how they act and make them follow the rules even though it can be endangering other students. Overall I believe I’m ready to go back to school in person.