As seniors walked the halls on the last day of third quarter, they didn’t think it would be the last time they would be stepping into the school this year. For seniors, this was a bittersweet moment. For some, they are excited they don’t have to go to school. For others they are missing the memories they could have made.

   Senior Carli Snyder is happy that we don’t have to go back to school and be around a big group of people.

   “I honestly love it,¨ Snyder said. “I work better from home with less people around, as I dislike crowds.” 

   Unlike Snyder, senior Brianna Pojar is having a little trouble with the new order.

   “It’s definitely a lot to adjust to, but it’s not horrible,” Pojar said. “I am a big procrastinator so that is probably my biggest struggle with it. Although it’s not that bad, I’m still pretty upset about it. This is not at all how I expected my senior year to be. I have been looking forward to this year for as long as I can remember and now, instead of getting to spend the last quarter at school with my friends, I’m stuck at home alone doing work.”

   Snyder isn’t that upset about the outcome of her senior year and is enjoying her time out of school.

   “It’s perfect,” Snyder said. “I have not been emotionally invested in school since sixth grade. I’ve pretty much been counting down the days to graduation since freshman year. For that countdown to basically get here sooner than expected? It’s perfect for me. I get to spend the end of my senior year with my family, my dogs, and my goldfish.”

   Pojar has been trying to find new ways to occupy her time.

   “In my time off I have been trying my best to keep up with school work and, when I’m not doing that, I’m usually either binge watching Netflix or working out,” Pojar said. “Sometimes it’s nice because I’m able to relax and not have to do much, but other times I just feel very unproductive and bored, so my feelings about it change by the day.”

   Snyder hasn’t had a hard time transitioning into this stay-at home order.

   “I love it,” Snyder said. “I truly love it so much. Although I miss the absolute euphoria of cancelling plans, being home is my favorite place to be. I’m super productive, my stress has never been lower. I am genuinely thriving. I play my Nintendo Switch a lot, but I put my games in French so I don’t lose language ability. I also took up knitting. Mostly, though, I’m relearning how to love myself. The isolation has been incredibly beneficial for my mental health.”

   Even though we have all complained about not loving school, you don’t really know what you have until it’s gone.

   “I think the hardest thing I have faced during this time is the fact that I lost a big part of my senior year,” Pojar said. “Honestly I learned how much I actually enjoyed going to school before because I didn’t realize how good it was until it was gone.”