X’s Question: How does remote learning compare to in-person classes for you?
X’s Replies: Personally, last year’s remote learning was full of benefits and flaws. There were times when I overslept, causing me to wake up 10 minutes before class started but, everything was online so I was able to get to class on time. There was more sleep and free time compared to in-person school, which I loved. I definitely prefer that aspect of online school; where I was able to get enough sleep and get free time to do my hobbies. I’m an indoor person and when the weather was terrible I loved not having to make my way to school. However there were also negatives associated with this. I wasn’t studying for exams, and didn’t learn most things from my sophomore year. I lost my motivation for school, but in-person classes give me that motivation back. I feel like I’m really grasping the topics I’m learning, however, I have less time for study or my hobbies. My commute to and from school takes three hours out of my day. During these three hours, I could be studying or doing things I love. Despite multiple flaws, in-person classes have benefits for me as well as other kids because of having a structured learning environment compared to that of our house.
Y’s Question: How do you overcome loneliness if you keep failing at trying to not be lonely?
Y’s Says: The great irony is that as we become increasingly “connected” on social media, video calling, and messaging, we simultaneously feel increasingly lonely. And even though we may use technology to feel more connected, technology may be exactly what’s leading us to feel lonely. The biggest advice I can give is that it’s essential to practice self-kindness. Blaming ourselves when we feel lonely is not helpful. Be kind to yourself, take care of yourself and generally give yourself a break from everything including social media, school, work etc, and do a “self care” day once in a while. Additionally, when you feel lonely try to reach out to people for help and talk to them. When we feel lonely, sometimes we just want to retreat into a corner and hide. Other times, our endless to-do list may leave us too exhausted to go out and be social. Try making new friends and strengthening your relationships with people in person (not online). Engaging in face-to-face social interactions tends to improve our mood and reduce loneliness. One great way of engaging with people is joining school clubs. At MCSM we have so many diverse and unique clubs to choose from. You can try to join 2-3 clubs to see what you like and what you’re passionate about and meet like-minded people. Lastly, I’d advice you to stay away from negativity. Don’t hang around people who make you feel inferior or feel bad about yourself. Always, be around people who genuinely make you happy and motivate you to be better. Cut negativity out of your life and you’ll see how much happier you are!
Z’s Question: How do you deal with low self-esteem?
Z’s Response: It’s been a common thing for many people to go through self doubt . However, we should all appreciate how unique we all are. It might sound “cliche” but it’s true. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to others or have those “I’m not enough” thoughts. Low self-esteem comes from our own thinking. We are the ones most responsible for falling into that mindset. If we change it and start having positive thoughts about ourselves, then our self esteem rises. Something that might help is focusing on a feature you like about yourself. This will help generate positive thoughts and eventually have you complimenting yourself. Though it is challenging to increase your self esteem, it’s important to be at peace with who you are. We were born into these bodies and we should love every part of ourselves. Improve your opinion of who and what you are. Your future self will appreciate it.