By Ho Ha My ’22, staff writer

For the past two years, Zoom has become the new classroom and students have gotten used to the new habit of rolling in their blankets during lecture.

For the first few months, many considered this a bliss as they showed up late to class and slept through the lecture without being sent to detention. Yet, as the situation dragged on without an end in sight, teenagers have experienced unexpected disruption in their social and academic life. 

In Viet Nam, the situation is even more extreme as the country applied rigorous lockdown regulations for prolonged periods throughout four waves of outbreaks in 2020 and 2021. 

Freshmen have missed out on Orientation week while high school seniors are sent to college without a graduation ceremony. They have spent the most time enclosed with family in more than 12 years of classes. These significant changes have brought in both negative and positive impacts in teens’ everyday life with the afterthought being a mix of both regrets and unforgettable memories. And now, schools are open and another transition is taking place. Students now again have to relearn socialization skills, meet actual friends and get used to actually attending lecture in formal clothes. 

Below is some insight from now freshman college students in Viet Nam who have spent the supposedly “best time of their life” online and how they feel returning to school. 

Khue, 18 year old – senior high 

I spent most of my high school years on and off, with seven months being the longest online period. There were both positive and negative impacts for me. Because of the quick switch to online studying, teachers still had difficulties with operating the class and this led to lack of in-depth understanding for the lecture. Another obvious obstacle is that you can’t really hang out with your friends during class. 

However, I did find stuyding at home more comfortable and it really improves my self-discipline.  My mental health also is better at home as I can study whenever I want, without teachers pushing me to turn in assignments. I also have more time to spend with my family and developing personal hobbies. 

I think I missed out on quite a bit during my high school years and couldn’t make as many memories as I have wanted to with my friends such as recording tiktok videos. This is the only regret I have and I wish I had more opportunites to spend time with friends. 

Hoang Anh, 19 year old – freshman 

I’m luckier than other students my age as my city didn’t have a serious outbreak so we didn’t impose prolonged citywide lockdown. I barely missed much of my senior high and even with a short lockdown period, my friends still found ways to maintain connections. 

My freshman year, however, has been for the most part online and seems likely to continue to end that way. I enjoy studying online though because I feel more confident participating in the lecture through Zoom than in class. It’s also very comfortable studying at home, as I can wake up whenever I want and can watch class recordings if I don’t understand something. 

However, I regretted not being able to have a proper school ceremony and Orientation week. I also couldn’t make friends in university and even for a short period of time returning to school, I find it more difficult to form relationships. I guess spending so much time at home and in isolation really alters my ability to socialize. It definitely is a process I need to rewire and get used to.