Gus Carvell

For me, the freedom and independence that has come as a result of the coronavirus closure has made me more engaged with academics than I was when we were going to school normally. Although I spend less time on schoolwork, the break has helped give me clarity with regards to what I value with my education. I’ve been spending much more time on my extracurriculars, reaffirming them as a key part of my school experience. I’ve noticed which of my habits were products of my school routines and have shed easily with a new normal, and which parts of my day I miss more.

I feel that much of MCPS’ response to the closure has been focused on trying to adapt the normal school day to the new circumstances, rather than taking the opportunity to experiment and change, not that I expected anything different. I hope that for myself and others, instead of trying to preserve normalcy through and after the break, we can return with more dedication to what we found ourselves missing and discard what we felt better without.