This school year has been tough, especially for seniors who may feel that their senior year is slowly wasting away as they prepare for their post-high school lives, but it’s imperative to stay optimistic. I asked a few MHS alumni about their online college experience, about how they coped with online schooling last year as a senior, and for any advice for this year’s seniors.
Asked about how she coped with her senior year, class of 2020 alumna Jenny Pham said in a text message, “I think creating a routine of exercising, studying, and taking time for myself really helped structure my days. Socially, attending office hours or hangouts with teachers over Zoom gave me a chance to chat with all the cool people at MHS.”
Regarding the transition between high school and college, Pham, who attends UC Berkeley, said, “Academically, I loved it! All my professors are amazing, and it’s been nice having control over my schedule of attending lectures and doing work. Despite feeling like I’m missing out on the normal social aspects of college, joining organizations at UC Berkeley has helped me find a community, meet new friends, and explore different career options.”
To advise this year’s seniors, Pham said that “it’s okay to not have everything figured out because as cheesy as it sounds, everything will work out in the end.” She further added that students should “take advantage of the local scholarships in Milpitas and Santa Clara County. This is your chance to get paid or rewarded for the amazing work you’ve done. If you plan to continue your education after high school, take advantage of community college classes in the summer to get a head start before the new year begins.”
Melanie Lin, also from the class of 2020, said via text message, “Last year I hadn’t seen it coming, so when I realized I wouldn’t be going back to school for the rest of senior year, I was super disappointed. I was able to cope by meeting with friends online on Zoom and Discord and by cooking, which I never had the time to [do] before. I think the workload I had then was still fairly high since I still had AP tests and review to do, so I also sort of became a busybody to cope too.”
Lin added, “With online college, it definitely feels like you’re missing out on things, like meeting more friends or being able to connect more with your professors. But so far, my classes have been relatively understanding of students’ situations and making sure they can accommodate those who live in different time zones. The good and bad thing about online classes is that I don’t have to move and walk across an enormous campus, so I can just wake up five minutes before a class and just sit on Zoom like a zombie… Just make sure you exercise as regularly as possible when you’re stuck at home; it helps a lot with relieving stress.”
Lin also said, “Some advice I’d give to seniors right now is that [since admission results are trickling in,] the colleges that do or don’t accept you, don’t define you. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. I also hope that you all can be understanding and respectful of everyone’s choices because it can easily become a sensitive time if you bully someone for their admission results or even boast your own. Aside from colleges, make sure to exercise and find hobbies that you can relieve your stress with because that is very, very important for your mental health.”
Lin added a message for MHS students: “Senior or not: you’re doing amazing, and I’m super proud of you because you’re getting through this tough time, and you’re going to make it through!”
