Just like in the virtual environment, many students continue to bring up concerns regarding mental health during face-to-face learning. There are many different challenges this school year compared to last year. One of the major differences is how students are no longer learning in the comfort of their own homes. 

The 2021-22 school year started off with many bumps, but mental health is not one of the new problems facing students. Unlike last school year, where Mondays were asynchronous days, the schedule is back to its traditional five days a week. Those asynchronous days were used for students to catch up on assignments or to even give themselves a break. Without having the day off and not having any sort of transition to the five day classes, students continue to struggle with finding a rhythm or the mental stamina to continue on with the weeks as they pass. 

Burnout can be seen in many ways like when you always feel like you don’t have time for yourself, you feel overwhelmed with everything, or you feel frustrated to the point that you can’t get anything done. Burnout is different for people and for some, it can be easy to get rid of but for others, it can lead to more serious problems like insomnia, poor eating habits, and even depression. 

A month has already passed since school started yet everything feels like it is moving too fast which has become rather exhausting for both students and teachers. When a student is absent, piles of assignments, quizzes and tests are being assigned which causes them to fall behind. Last year was more convenient for students because there were class recordings and you can continue to go to class even if you are sick. That manner was easier to catch up or stay on top of assignments. 

There are numerous reasons why students have to be absent and some are completely inevitable. For example, the school would have to take precautionary measures when a student shows symptoms of COVID-19 by putting them on the pause protocol. When a student is paused, it causes more stress to them as they think of all the lessons and work that they have to miss because of contact-tracing. It may be really helpful for the school to take these precautionary measures but being absent for a certain amount of time can mess with how a student progresses in each class. 

Although it has brought mixed feelings to many students regarding going back in the building, the majority of the students enjoy being in the presence of their teachers and classmates this school year. Even with these struggles, many students continue to find the energy everyday in order to get through each and every one of their classes.