(Pixabay)

Once Academy moved to 100% capacity, my family and I, like many others in our community, made the difficult decision of going all online to protect ourselves or loved ones at home. 

Online learning has its bright sides. Avoiding the transportation time to get to and from school and sleeping in are a luxury, especially for those who live far from campus. But as the days passed on, the confines of my house began to feel monotonous. 

While teachers and the CA community have been gracious in accommodating online students, as we get deeper into the school year and it gets colder, being away from school and friends begins to take a toll. 

The thing I miss most about campus is noise. People talking before class, the sound of students moving through the hallways, whispers in the library, chatter in the Dining Hall and lounges. Evidence of people around me is a subtle yet impactful aspect of in-person school that I miss, as the biggest downside to online learning is being disconnected from my peers. 

Foing for a walk outside, spending some extra time with my family, or connecting with friends on video calls have offered a reprieve from the difficulty of online learning, but we have to learn to cope with various restrictions and support each other as cases rise and as the school and Academy families make decisions about how to move forward,