The last few assignments have been turned in and grades have been finalized. Semester one has ended, which means students have said goodbye to their first semester classes. With the start of semester two, students have new teachers, classmates, as well as a brand new schedule.

In the last semester, students have gotten used to their schedules and the people in their classes. They have also socialized with the people in their classes and have become friends with them. 

“Semester two has affected me a lot. I have new teachers in most of my classes, and I’ve seen a lot of new faces. It’s a lot to adapt to,” WCHS freshman Lia Salazar said. “A lot of change has happened very quickly, but I’ve been getting used to all of the new people I’ve been seeing in class everyday. It’s been good so far.”

Some students have lots of friends in their new classes, while some do not. It can be a hassle to have to switch so many classes around and possibly not be in classes with friends, even more so after having a class with them in the previous semester. Is it better to have friends in class or to not have friends in class?

“I think I have been very productive this semester. I don’t have many distractions when I’m in class, and I can pay full attention to my teacher,” Salazar said.

Not having friends in classes has its benefits. It gives students the opportunity to get classwork and even homework done in class with minimal distractions. It also allows students to pay more attention to what the teacher is saying, and fully learn and process the material they are being taught.

Trying to get work done alone in class can also have its challenges. 

“If I’m by myself, it can be harder to motivate myself to do the work. Sometimes it can be hard to find motivation to do schoolwork, especially when you have a lot of it,” WCHS freshman Zander Greenspun said.

Work can also be challenging when you don’t have friends in classes. For example when the teachers say “pick a partner,” and you don’t have anyone to work with. At times where teachers allow students to talk amongst themselves, someone with no friends in their class might not have anyone to talk to, which can be upsetting.

“While it’s great to be more productive in class, it’s also nice being able to see my friends during class, because in semester one I didn’t have as many classes with my close friends. My semester two classes align with some of my friends’ schedules, which is great,” Salazar said.

Having friends in classes can be a good thing. Some students find the work they have to do more enjoyable when they’re doing it with friends. They also might like talking to their friends a bit while doing work, and it’s also nice to have people to talk to in class when all the work needed to be done is completed. After having two years of virtual school because of COVID-19, many students enjoy the social aspect of school a lot more than they did before the pandemic started.

“I find that I can get more work done when I work with people. It’s more fun and easier when you have fun working with your friends,” Greenspun said.

Working with friends can also present problems. When working with friends, it’s very easy to get distracted. In the blink of an eye, class is over and amongst a student and their friends, none of them have gotten much work done. This can negatively affect not only the students’ grade, but also their friends’ grades in the class. It is very important to stay on task if you are going to work with people that could potentially be a distraction.

“I think it’s good to have social interaction during class meaning it can be better to have friends in your classes, but at times it’s better to not have friends in classes because they can be distracting and make it harder to pay attention,” Greenspun said.