Four years ago, on March 13, 2020, the Covid 19 pandemic changed the way society functioned all over the world. Students and workers were told they were not going back to school or work for what they thought would be only 2 weeks. Little did we know, this “2 week break” would turn into a year-long lockdown that closed down businesses and prevented people from coming within 6 feet of each other.
Although the actual lockdown lasted for about a year, life didn’t really return back to normal until somewhere in the middle of 2022. People of all ages were forced to change the way they lived and were not able to normally interact with people. Because of this, people in middle school, high school, and even college missed out on crucial developmental years of their life. This change in development is very evident, not only in an academic setting, but in society overall.
Since it’s been 4 years since the start of this life altering pandemic, I decided to ask around the Rosary campus and see what students and faculty had to say about their experiences during the Covid lockdown and what they have noticed coming out of it.
Q: How has the Covid lockdown affected learning for students?
As an academic counselor, Mrs. Lee has noticed several patterns of change throughout the different classes when it comes to learning and development: “For current seniors who missed a large portion of their freshman year, I’ve noticed that the social component has become increasingly more important. Relationships with teachers and other students are much more valued compared to younger classes. We have also seen that this has greatly affected college decisions. The social aspect of college is influencing the decisions students are making when choosing where they want to go. As for the younger classes, they are missing key years of identity development which has affected the way they intake, understand, and remember information. Their study skills were most affected. After coming back on campus, there’s a large social shift from those who experienced Covid in high school versus those who experienced it throughout middle school.”
Ms. Barclay ‘94 has also noticed a shift in development as an English teacher, specifically in the way students write: “I think Covid affected young writers in a pair of ways. First, it made it hard for these writers to get the instruction and practice in writing structure, which is really important at developmental ages. Second, it stifled the collaborative spirit writers need to thrive. Ironically, writing was more important than ever in such an uncertain time. We are still seeing the effects of Covid on writers whose experience was interrupted at a pivotal stage in their critical thinking journey. I do think the situation is improving, thankfully.”
Q: How has Covid affected the way you have matured/grown since then?
Sara Garcia ‘24: “Evil stalks the aisles of Sephora in the form of ten-year-old girls. I fear the wrath of my iPad kid cousins. Human connection replaced by Cocomelon, these children have become deeply disturbed.”
Mallory Ye ‘24: “I remember getting the announcement that we would have a two week break due to concerns about Covid. I was in 8th grade and ever since then, I have not grown mentally. I legitimately feel like a 13 year old inside of a 17 year old. I can definitely say I have changed, but I can’t really discern if it is maturity or simply change. Either way, I wasn’t ready to graduate 8th grade, so graduating high school is an even bigger mental leap.”
Emma Muse ‘26: “I would say the Covid definitely stunted my mental growth because instead of aging from 12 to 13 normally, I was stuck in my house and didn’t really get those necessary experiences. I think that because I missed out on 2 years, my brain thinks that I’m still 12. It sounds kind of confusing, but because Covid hit when I was 12, I still mentally feel 12 and maybe will feel that way internally forever.”
Q: As a senior who entered Rosary as a freshman mid-pandemic, how do you think your freshman year of online learning affected your social and academic growth?
Melanie Kamel ‘24: “I think having the first year of high school be so isolated from the very people you’re supposed to get close to and be friends with definitely hindered and forced us to adapt to different ways to get close. The biggest way was social media, and I think this not only transformed the way/method we talked and made friends but also provided another distraction in a time where staying at home was the only option. So, the value of quality time that makes up the backbone of friendships decreased and so did the friendships. Our generation became so comfortable with sticking to who they know that seniors now don’t even know everyone in their class 4 years later, let alone their Servite friars.”
Grace Cabrera ‘24: “Freshman year on zoom was definitely a different social life. As opposed to today’s normal lunch with my friends, my breaks consisted of going to nail appointments and the occasional game pigeon. So honestly, I would say that it has its perks but I am more of a fan of learning when I’m not in a global deadly pandemic.”
When the world goes into a global pandemic, from attending drive-thru graduations and birthday parties to attending class and sports practices on zoom, the way we were forced to live definitely had major effects on the way we will continue living our lives long after the pandemic. Although there are pros and cons to the universal lockdown, I think we can all say we are thankful it’s four years in the past.