My Hybrid Experience (So Far)
Since people started coming to Overlake hybrid a few weeks ago, I figured people might appreciate hearing about what it is like. A lot has already been written about COVID-19 safety, so I’ll mostly focus on other aspects of the day-to-day experience. I cannot speak for everyone, obviously, but I’ll at least share my own observations and advice.
For a few weeks, I thought I didn’t want to do hybrid as it wouldn’t be that different from online school. It still involves a lot of going onto Zoom meetings and computer work; it is just less comfortable. In some ways, this is true.
First, there are some ways in which hybrid is a lot more inconvenient than online. Notably, the school safety protocols entail opening at least one window in every room for good airflow. It is early March in Redmond, Washington. This means that most classes are cold all the time. It also means that it is cold and wet outside. If you get cold and wet, it is very hard to warm up. Especially to people who do not go outside often — like myself — this can be a shock. During the first week, I struggled a lot with this element. As I went into my second week, I was much more successful because I wore more layers (especially ones that were insulative like padded coats and sweaters) and brought hand warmers to school.
It is also an intense walk up to school from the junior lot. It gets easier over time especially if you prepare for the weather (as mentioned above), but it is still a lot. Another difficulty was that the combination of winter air and frequent sanitization can dry out hands.
There are also some technology and communication issues. Setting up the meeting can be hard. I also found that sometimes other people forget that passing period is there and go over time. Plus, in a few of my classes where there are very few people, it is very similar to being online but in a colder room.
For classes where the work involves an activity besides being on a computer and writing notes, it can be difficult to go back and forth between a physical classroom and your own home. For example, in painting class, it’s easier to socialize with other people in person but you have to get used to either having 2 sets of painting projects or carrying your paintings through the rain regularly. Choir is a more extreme but similar deal, where it is nice to see and interact with others, but we can’t really sing at school.
Ultimately though, I ended up finding some very important benefits to hybrid. A lot of these inconveniences are just a matter of adapting. Layering, being more aware of the schedule, and using more hand lotion are not exactly huge lifestyle changes. Because of the schedule, there is only one in-person iteration of each class per week so moving supplies or missing activities are not a huge detriment. Some other changes that seem uncomfortable, like walking from place to place, can be enjoyable. Overall, it kind of depends on whether you think the cons outweigh the pros.
One of the main benefits I observed was just not being in the same house. I live with three siblings, my parents, and two pets, so although I love them, after nearly a year of quarantine it is a relief to not be in the same space all the time. Interacting with family members can add a lot to the mental load of online school.
Also, as briefly mentioned before, walking around regularly and moving to different places is a lot of fun. As well as increasing physical activity, it helps with feeling good. I found that it was a lot easier to get into a “school mode” at school, even during free block. It was also easier to not stress about school when I was not at school. And of course, it was nice to see and be on the campus — especially the new MathSci building — instead of the same small place all the time.
There was also considerably more natural interaction and less awkwardness at in-person school, although it varied per class. If a class had 3 or more people and/or the teacher was there, there were usually some fun interactions that wouldn’t have happened just on Zoom.
Overall, I’ve found hybrid so far to be relatively safe and fun, although it does require some adapting and is not as comfortable as regular school or online school. Personally, I’m going to keep going (as long as it is safe) because I really appreciate the separation of home and school, interacting with others, and going outside.
