A normal school day consists of  different things for different people. For some, it’s talking to your friends, trying to beat the rush to get to class, and counting down the hours until you get to go home. For others, it’s sitting in class avidly listening to your teacher talk about the pythagorean theorem or government, hanging on to their every word.  Occasionally it’s having to run out of advisory to get to lunch on time before meeting with a teacher. Then, at the end of the year, you get to pick up your yearbook and relive all of those memories. While a lot of people do complain about the monotony of high school, there is a routine and a predictability to the everyday life of a high school student that is oddly comforting. It can be jarring to have that routine taken away, and many people are left with the feeling that nothing is “real” or “normal” anymore. 

This may be one reason that online schooling feels so uneventful and unreal: it is not the life that we are used to. However, that does not mean the entire world has come to a standstill. Even though it might not seem like it from your room, there are still plenty of things to be excited about. You can go watch a football or volleyball game. Games might be a little harder to get into but you can always sign up to be part of the student section or ask someone if they have an extra ticket. 

If you are missing your friends, call them. Still make a point to do all the fun traditions that come with every ‘normal’ school year. Just because you might be a little bummed out now about what the year will bring doesn’t mean it will be bad. This might just be a great year that got off on a rocky start. 

There is no excuse to not get involved because you are at home. This is the new normal whether we like it or not. It is up to everyone to accept it and be positive about it. There might be some really bad things going on in this world right now but that doesn’t mean everything is terrible. Life is what you make it. If you keep being positive and start getting involved and have some fun then the year might brighten up. Get excited for the school year because it has only just begun!