The global pandemic of COVID-19 is a crisis of such sweeping scope and magnitude that Americans are now having to deal with a reality that was unimaginable five weeks ago. Students across the country, including students at PHS, have been forced to adopt online learning so that we can finish this year’s curriculum and graduate on time. This new system of online learning is not ideal, but it is the situation that we now have to adapt to.

Online school does not mean an indefinite vacation; on the contrary, it is a new responsibility for students. This new system of learning is founded on trust and the idea that students, especially high schoolers, can take our education into our own hands, and complete the tasks assigned without teachers constantly looming over us. For most students, this is the first time in our lives that we are largely responsible for our own education, and we need to step up and complete the tasks that are set out for us. For the time being, teachers can’t spoon feed us information and coax us into doing our work — we must do it ourselves. Don’t view these circumstances as a curse, but as a blessing. After high school, when we’re in the real world, we will have to manage our own time and think independently, and the current situation helps give us experience in a controlled space where we can learn without any major repercussions.

Even though we’re at home and this feels like a vacation, school is still in session and the work that our teachers are assigning us is there for a reason. Our teachers don’t want to just assign busy work. The state has mandated certain expectations so that these days count towards the 180-day requirement. On top of that, many of our teachers are also giving us the information we need for an AP exam whose contents are still up in the air. Furthermore, our teachers are also in the dark about so many things like finals, the way AP exams will work, and if we will actually return to physical schooling this year. Through all of this uncertainty, they are continuing to work hard to ensure that their students can receive all the information and guidance they need.

That is not to say that online schooling is easy. Not only does the workload largely resemble that of a normal school day, but our homes present us with endless distractions, many of which we had not encountered while sitting at our desks at school. It becomes difficult to focus on the tasks at hand and stay up to date with the daily assignments from our teachers when we have siblings, technology, and snacks to distract us. However, if we allow ourselves to get caught up in these newfound distractions, we will find ourselves behind in schoolwork, and utterly unprepared for any of the tests that we will be taking in the spring, such as APs or standardized tests. Therefore, choose to spend your time in quarantine wisely — preferably, by refining your time management skills.

Furthermore, this is a prime time to explore areas that you haven’t had time to study before. Now that most extracurriculars have been canceled, there is ample time to read a book about some interesting subject and gain a new perspective. There are so many interesting subjects that we can study from the comfort of our homes and we should be using the free time we have gained to do so. Pick up a book, listen to a podcast, pick up a new language, or simply talk to your family about their experiences growing up. The choices are endless.

Another important part of our responsibilities during this crisis is staying at home to help protect older people who could fall seriously ill under COVID-19. As students and young adults that are not at serious risk for the severe consequences of COVID-19, we can not discount the effects of the virus on our families. Choosing to hang out with friends instead of canceling plans and staying at home could prove fatal for older members of your family or the families of other people in our community.

There are very few times in American history where we are asked to unite and take this sort of collective action that our community direly needs. As Americans, we are used to an incredibly individualistic society and the idea of collective action or responsibility is generally met with skepticism or contempt. However, the current crisis requires every person’s cooperation and demands sacrifices from all. If young people like us decide to ignore warnings and continue to go out and have fun, we condemn our society to this never-ending cycle of meaningless death and economic destruction. The quicker we decide to stay home and practice social distancing, the quicker this nightmare ends. Choosing to stay home for three or more weeks could save our country and globe from months of economic and social havoc.

At the end of the day, don’t view this time at home as a waste or a bear on your plans. View it as a time for introspection, an opportunity to discover new things, and most of all, view it as a service to your community.