Now that school has switched to online learning, it has sparked many challenges for students making it uncomfortable and even harder to learn. 

“It is uncomfortable to be on online schooling because I feel like I’m not getting any exercise, and I’m not moving a lot,” sophomore Nolan Parker said. 

With school being online and not all sports seasons happening, it has been harder to move throughout the day. 

“I don’t move around very much. The little things like walking in between classes in the hallway really benefited me because I actually moved around throughout the day instead of sitting in the same spot. I just make sure I at least get 45 minutes to an hour worth of working out. Doesn’t matter what it is as long as I’m getting up and moving. That’s all that matters,” sophomore Sienna Campbell said. 

Students doing school online means more time looking at screens. Students now have more free time at home to be on their devices. According to Science News for Students, in April 2020, around 1,500 parents had reported their kids’ physical activity, sleep habits, and screen time. That survey showed that about nine in every 10 kids have exceeded the recommended two-hour day limit of non-school time. 

“I definitely spend the majority of the day on my laptop. To make it less stressful, I plan breaks where I stretch,” sophomore Jayme Koenigs said. 

“We’re looking at a computer 24/7, and it really does get to me. I can get headaches a lot and feel nauseous,” Campbell said. 

North Texas Daily lead a poll on Twitter, 84 percent of the 685 students said they are feeling less motivated, 10.4 percent have felt the same level of motivation, and 5.4 felt more motivated to complete their assignments than in past semesters. 

“I don’t feel as motivated as I would be in school,” Parker said.

“The main challenge of online is not feeling ready to learn when we just roll out of bed,” Koenigs said. 

Now being at home they have lost that interaction with others, and students are starting to miss that. 

“I prefer face to face over online, although I do like not having to wake up so much earlier, but I do miss seeing everyone and having that interactiveness and being able to get help on assignments,” Campbell said.

“I definitely prefer face to face because of human contact and the allowance of help much easier. As well the friendships and other social aspects of school,” Koenigs said. 

Students have found ways to work around their problems with doing school online. 

“Some things that I’ve done to make online more efficient is my sister and I:  have a schedule for who has to work downstairs and who has to work upstairs. Whenever I work downstairs, I just feel less motivated because I’m not in a better environment,” Campbell said. 

Getting work done when it’s due has helped kids stay on schedule with school.

“I made online schooling more efficient by waking up earlier and getting my work done right away,” Parker said. 

According to the National Sleep Foundation, when you are home, it may be more tempting to sleep. It is best to try and avoid long naps in the afternoon because it can hinder nighttime sleep. 

“I had to change my sleeping schedule every now and then. If I have more homework that I need to get done in the morning, I need to wake up earlier. So those days I get less sleep, and I don’t want to work as much,” Campbell said.