For the first time, students took their classes at home through scheduled video conference calls on Zoom. This radical alteration to the school structure has resulted in a complete change to the student experience in which students have varying opinions over distance learning and differing understanding of what’s happening within the Mills community. In a student questionnaire conducted by The Thunderbolt, students answered a series of questions about their distance learning experience, and their opinions on the successes and failures of distance learning this semester. A series of student polls were also held where students voted on the difficulty and success of distance learning, as well as if they prefer to continue distance learning next semester or transition into a hybrid model. 

The transition from in-person to distance learning classes during the previous semester has garnered generally negative reactions from students. The transition was generally described as “difficult,”  “not smooth,” and “sudden.” Many students described a learning curve with online classroom software and routine changes they had to undergo to adjust to distance learning. Motivation was also a factor in the transition, as students adjusted to changes with the course curriculum.  The limited interaction between students and teachers also made transitioning more difficult for students. This was further complicated by speculation over if students would be able to resume in-person classes also added to the uncertainty over the structure of distance learning; Gabriella Handoko (12) commented on the transition, stating that “Initially when we thought this would only last for 2 weeks, it wasn’t as bad because we thought of it as a break. But as we realized this may go on longer than expected, both students and staff were not prepared to do distance-learning. It was hard to suddenly adjust to something that wasn’t normal at the time, and distance-learning posed a lot of uncertainties”. 

When asked to describe problems within distance learning, students described a wide range of issues from internet problems, home environment, learning struggles, and especially, student mental health problems related to distance learning and social isolation. Some students are reliant on the Chromebooks that Mills provides, as well as portable hotspots for home internet. Students have endured poor internet connections and limited technological capabilities, which hampered their ability to participate in classes and accomplish online school work. Many students also did not have an ideal home learning environment. Oftentimes, students would be in Zoom classes while their siblings and parents were also online for school and work which slowed down their home internet connection. Some students had to share spaces with other family members while in school, which made their learning environment cramped and noisy. Students who were inexperienced with distance learning software like Zoom or Canvas also faced a difficult time using them which resulted in lower engagement and increased stress over the changed learning.

Students were asked to rate their experience with distance learning on a 1-10 scale with 1 being the worst experience, 10 being the best, and 5.5 being average. The average rating among all students was slightly above average at 5.8. Around 63.9% of respondents rated between 4-7, 23.4% rated between 8-10, and 12.7% rated between 1-3 indicating that the majority of students found their distance learning experience to be relatively average. Seniors generally had a better distance learning experience with an average rating of 6 while the other grades had an average rating of around 5.5-5.8. The indication that students found distance learning to be slightly above average was supported by the distance learning success poll. This poll was conducted on whether students believed that distance learning has been successful this semester, which 36.1% of students did, 55.1% found it partially successful, and 8.8% did not find it successful. These polling splits were found among all grades, with upperclassmen finding it a bit more successful at 38% and underclassmen finding it a bit less at 36%.

When students were asked about their stance on the success of distance learning this semester, students provided different reasonings from personal experiences to speculation on how distance learning affects the student body as a whole. Students who saw distance learning as partially successful this semester often understood and appreciated the efforts that the district made to improve distance learning for students. Sophia Baltasar (12) gave a nuanced opinion on why she believed distance learning has been partially successful, stating that “I believe that distance learning works for some people, and does not work for others. I’m fortunate enough to have what I need to do well in distance learning, but distance learning creates a disparity between those who have the resources to succeed and those who don’t. I appreciate that the schools in our district have done their best to make accommodations, such as chrome books, WiFi hotspots, and other online resources. However, it’s just hard for not only students but stand as well to stay motivated when they’re staring at a screen for 3-12 hours a day”. Other factors that resulted in a mixed opinion on the success of distance learning included the struggles that some students have with a distance learning environment, the efforts that teachers had to make to adjust their classes to distance learning, and the ability of students to adjust to distance learning classes. Students who held a negative opinion on distance learning’s success, often cited their difficulties with distance learning, which included their academic struggles and mental health strain. They also pointed out that the majority of students are or have struggled with distance learning this semester, and that some students are treated unequally through this system. Students who believed that distance learning was a success viewed the efforts of the district as an overall achievement. Gabriella Handoko (12) gave credit to the school district, stating that they “have been working hard to find models that will work for us. I appreciate all of our staff’s efforts to make distance learning successful. I know it’s difficult for teachers to be teaching on Zoom, but their efforts to engage their students and make school fun does not go unrecognized. Unlike in the spring, we now at least get to see people through Zoom”. Noah Ku (12) added that “I feel that the distance learning experience makes it very convenient for a lot of students. The workload isn’t as bad as in previous years and there’s a lot more time for students to work on their school projects or homework”.

Another poll was held over whether students believed that distance learning made school easier or more difficult than in-person classes. They were also asked to rate the difficulty of distance learning on an 1-10 scale, with one being very easy and ten being very difficult. Among all respondents, around 52% of students found distance learning more difficult, 31% found it to be as difficult as in person, and 16% found it to be less difficult. Around 24.5% of seniors, 17.1% of freshmen, 5.2% of sophomores and 4.8% of juniors found distance learning to be less difficult. Alternatively, 50-52% of seniors, freshmen, and sophomores found distance learning to be more difficult, while 61.9% of juniors found it more difficult. The student ratings indicate a similar trend with the average difficulty rating being a 6.3 which is significantly higher than the average of 5.5. 44.1% of all respondents either rated a difficulty of seven or eight, 28.4% rated five or six, 17.2% rated four through one, and 10.3% rated the difficulty a nine or ten. Seniors found distance learning to be relatively average difficulty with a 5.6 consensus rating, sophomores rated the difficulty 6.21, freshmen rated it a 6.33, while juniors found the most difficulty with an average rating of 7.29. 

When asked why students held their position on the difficulty on distance learning, they cited a variety of reasons from workload, home and class learning environments, communication between students and teachers, leniency on classwork, time management, learning ability, access to student help and resources, usage of distance learning software, and difficulty of distance learning classes. Students who felt that distance learning made school harder generally found problems with the reasons above. Evan Field (9) found communication difficult, saying that “I feel like the communication between teachers and students isn’t as clear as it usually is in in-person school”. Madison Schoening (11) found learning and access to teacher health more difficult, stating that “I feel like it is harder to understand the material in the distance learning setting, it’s harder to get help, and the help isn’t as effective since we can’t talk face to face”. Yoerujo Kusayama (9) viewed student motivation to be problematic, saying that “Distance learning doesn’t bring much motivation to learn unlike “physical school” where you can physically interact with teachers”. Teachers are less able to pressure and “chase” students into engaging in their classes and to complete work, which can result in some students being disengaged. Students who believed that distance learning is as difficult as in-person classes viewed that some aspects of school were made more difficult, while others were made easier. Cameron Li (12) found distance learning to be more convenient overall, but found time management and the learning environment could be difficult for some, stating that “I think there’s a lot more responsibility on us to be able to manage our own time. I think it’s also a lot easier to get distracted during class since we’re in our own homes”. Gabriella Handoko (12) views distance learning as more lenient and less workload heavy and found the shorter schedules to be easier. However, she sees that “these adjustments come with a pay-off: learning online, in general, is pretty difficult. It’s hard to stay motivated, to retain information, to interact with other people, and we often fall victim to ‘zoom-fatigue’”. Students who found distance learning easier found multiple aspects of school less difficult during distance learning, especially including decreased workload and increased leniency. Sophia Baltazar (12) found distance learning easier, stating that “Teachers are a bit more lenient with work than they would have in-person. The comfy environment of my bedroom made taking tests a less stressful experience than in a classroom. I am an older student, so taking AP classes is mainly based on lectures. I can make up for what I don’t understand in class with YouTube videos or even Khan Academy videos.” 

Students who have previously gone to Mills before distance learning were also asked about how other aspects of the Mills student experience were altered or replaced during distance learning. This included extracurriculars, clubs, hangouts, student activities, and events, and sports. Many students described the reduction and removal of various extracurricular activities including club meetings and sports-related activities. The lack of interaction between students during distance learning classes has made it difficult for students who aren’t already close to each other. Freshmen in particular have fewer opportunities to integrate themselves within the Mills student community. Many clubs at Mills have continued through this semester with varying levels of success. They often face problems with member engagement and enrollment, club meeting times, and functionality as many club activities are only possible in person. When describing clubs this year, Cameron Li (12) commented “The clubs part of the school has been lacking. Not only can we not meet in person, but students are really limited to the clubs that they can join because the “official” club times all happen at once, so you can only really go to one club on a given day.” For Mills athletics, the fall sports season has already been pushed back and winter sports are also likely to be pushed back also. However, many sports teams at Mills still held conditioning during the fall semester, which student-athletes generally appreciated. Sports games were also a major student event at Mills and the removal of that disappointed some students. Kevin Mungunshagai (10) described having sports as having “a big impact, especially with the whole covid thing. I went to mills as a freshman and I’m so used to being local and just talking with my friends whenever but now I’m not able to because they can’t come out due to the covid 19”. Some of the larger extracurricular classes such as Music and Drama continued despite some difficulties with distance learning. The Mills Music Department was able to transfer their events such as the Groove-A-Thon and the winter concert to a virtual setting and Mills Drama held an Audio play of The Crucible this semester.

A major problem during distance learning that students endured was the degradation of their mental health through distance learning. The pandemic has already taken a large toll on students’ mental health as many were isolated from their peers and they couldn’t do many outdoor activities that they enjoyed. The heavy usage of technology during distance learning has harmed students, with some having to use the internet for six or more consecutive hours per day for school. Students who have a poor internet connection or are inexperienced with Zoom and Canvas often reported increased levels of stress over completing school assignments and engaging in their classes. Alterations to student routines have also been a source of mental health troubles. On his distance learning troubles, Jayme Daijo (11) states that “My mental health has taken a large toll of all of this, for me, I feel a productive day requires me to wake up, do online school, eat, take a small break, get back to work, eat dinner and go to sleep. While we feel that now we have all the time in the world, it is still difficult to prioritize and find the time that I need to set aside without feeling like that will result in me falling behind”. Daphne Situ (12) commented on her being stuck at home all day, stating “As my bedroom has become both my work and resting space, I felt like I needed to be constantly working because I could always see my desk/laptop.” It has been especially difficult for students to handle being socially isolated during this semester. When describing his final year at Mills, Keefer Yip (12) says that “I was feeling saddened by the fact that I would spend some of the last months I had before leaving for college in solitary, which had an impact on both my mental health and attitude…” With many of the more enjoyable aspects of high school reduced or removed, many students no longer have an outlet to relieve stress and anxiety, which builds up over time and causes mental health issues.

The concluding poll in the student questionnaire asked students whether they preferred to continue distance learning next semester or if they wanted to return to the classroom under a hybrid model. Around 54.1% of all respondents were in favor of continuing distance learning while 45.4% were in favor of transitioning into a hybrid model. Seniors and freshmen were mostly in favor of continuing distance learning with 59% of freshmen and 58% of seniors voting for distance learning. This correlates with the previous two polls which indicated that seniors had the most positive distance learning experience, the highest rate of distance learning success, and the least difficulty with distance learning classes. Freshmen also generally rated distance learning positively, and had a higher rate of people who believed that distance learning was successful.  Sophomores also slightly favored distance learning with 53% voting for distance learning and 47% voting for hybrid models. Juniors were the only grade to favor returning to in-person classes as 52% voted for a hybrid model system and 45% voted for distance learning. This also correlates to their responses in the other polls in which juniors reported the lowest average distance learning rating and the highest average difficulty rating. 

 When asked why they believed that distance learning should continue or Mills should transition towards a hybrid model, students often cited the pandemic and student health risk, changes to in-person classes, social interactions, quality of student education, the concept of “normalcy” and student routines, and the resumption/increase in extracurriculars. Students who preferred distance learning nearly all showed concern over student safety under the hybrid model, and many did not want to expose their households to the virus. Other students questioned the quality of education under a hybrid model, with Anjuli Niyogi (12) arguing that “the hybrid model might put more stress on teachers to tackle DL students and in-person students at the same and make it more confusing for teachers”. Some students who held this position did hold mixed or negative views on distance learning but believed that controlling the spread of the virus is most important. Others have pointed out instances of other schools having to “see-saw” between distance learning and in-person classes due to school-wide outbreaks, showing concern over students’ ability to maintain social distancing protocols. A few have also argued that altering a school structure that students have adjusted to would cause stress and uncertainty over adjusting back. Students who supported the hybrid model next semester often believed that the district and student community is capable of creating a relatively safe environment for students and staff and that the quality of student life would improve. Marc Sanna (11) argued for a hybrid model, stating that “ many people need the genuine experience of going to school again. It’s hard for some people or learns through a computer as well, so having a chance to go to school could help with improving some students’ grades”. Madison Schoening (11) argued that “it is beneficial for students while staying safe and with proper protocol, to be able to have the choice to return to school in some capacity. Students need some sort of normalcy back in their lives”. Students who were severely affected by the isolation during distance learning supported the hybrid model to allow for greater student and teacher interaction. Others argued that student engagement would increase and that extracurricular activities would be improved. A few have argued that student grades would improve overall as many students are struggling with engagement and classwork under distance learning. At the moment, the district is heavily leaning towards a hybrid model targeted to begin in February, but that is only if the current health conditions improve.

Mills also offered Independent Studies (IS) Classes for all students, which around 11% of students polled took this semester. Independent Studies was most popular among seniors, with around 27% of polled students taking at least one IS course. Around 10% of sophomores, 7% of freshmen, and only 3% of Juniors reported taking IS classes this semester. When students were asked about why they chose IS classes, they cited several reasons. The most common reason is that a student didn’t like a particular distance learning class, and wanted an alternative to receiving course credits for that class. When describing her motivation for taking Independent Studies’ CP Government class, Alexis Lin (12) said that “I was having difficulty focusing in the first few classes so I knew it was better to be enrolled in a course I could focus in”. Some students who had busier schedules took IS classes to relieve some pressure. Others liked the freedom concerning scheduling and pace that those classes provide, and believed that they could handle taking a class without direct teacher assistance.

Students who took Independent Studies (IS) this semester were also asked about their opinions on their. IS classes Using a 1-10 rating system, students rated their experiences with their IS classes with one being the lowest and the being the highest. The respondents reported a positive rating average of 6.9 which is significantly higher to the distance learning average of 5.8. Around 41% of students rated IS a seven while 27% rated it from eight through ten; 32% of students rated it from six through four and no students gave IS a rating of three, two, or one.

When asked about why they liked or disliked their Independent Studies classes, students generally found their IS classes easier and less workload heavy than their distance-learning counterparts, but less engaging and rigorous. Sophia Baltasar (12) described the advantages and disadvantages of her Independent Studies classes, stating “I like my government Edgenuity class. It’s simple and straightforward, However, my AP Lit Edgenuity class is not easy. It’s hard to improve my writing when I read and annotate alone and when my essay feedback is minimal. I feel that since the system is a bit outdated, the content I am receiving is not adequate to prepare me for the upcoming AP exam”. Junar Lansang (12) describes the disengagement issue with Edgenuity, stating that “Since Edgenuity classes remove the live human element completely from the students’ learning, they have removed the curriculum’s ability to curate a genuine interest in the content. This results in a distaste and an apathetic attitude towards the instruction being received on Edgenuity”. On whether IS students still preferred their independent courses over distance learning, most said that they still preferred IS classes for the same reasons as above. Sebastian Law (12) commented, “If I can minimize the amount of time spent in subjects I don’t enjoy while still retaining the same amount of course curriculum knowledge, my mental health suffers less”.