Ever since the pandemic, DeKalb County has made the decision to go asynchronous rather than have the day off on most inclement weather days. While Atlanta rarely gets snow, this year, polar vortexes from the north have brought rare, freezing temperatures to the south. In a stroke of luck, snow came to Chamblee two times in the same month, giving us not one, not two, but four virtual snow days.
One of the main negatives of virtual days are distractions. Distractions often take away from the productivity of a virtual day, as it’s much easier to be distracted in your own home rather than in school.
“It’s really easy [to get distracted] because everything’s right in front of you. You’ve got to stay focused and that becomes a struggle because of those distractions like your phone, the TV, or your siblings,” Kesh Patel (‘26).
Despite the disruption due to the change in their regular schedule, some find virtual work is much more efficient than in-person classes.
“I prefer online because I can get all the work done that I would’ve worked on in school for seven hours in only three,” said Jackson Warren (‘26).
Doing work from home can feel like a breath of fresh air and a break from the high school grind for Chamblee students.
“First, I get my work done. Then, I play basketball and lay around all day afterward. It’s a nice break from my schedule,” said Brock Ryan (‘26).
Chamblee’s most recent virtual days spanned three days from Tuesday, January 21 to Thursday, January 23. While it might seem like many would become bored with being stuck at home for so long, not all students feel this way.
“Every day off was even better. It was so good because I had a lot of missing work to catch up on, so having that extra time during the day was nice. Honestly, I think they should have canceled last Friday as well instead of making us come only one day that week,” said Warren.
Some students grew tired of the virtual days and were bored of being cooped up all day.
”I was stuck inside for so long and I got really bored by the second day. I had a lot of work to do from all my classes. Each one took several hours each, so it was pretty exhausting,” said Elijah Boelhower (‘27).
The extra time during the day was one of the highlights of the virtual days for Chamblee students.
“I prefer virtual because I get to sleep in and I’ve got way more time to complete my work… [On asynchronous days], I wake up, eat breakfast, get all the work done, and then just chill for the rest of the day,” said Patel.
Due to not having to put your phone up in the pouch at the front of class, the newfound freedom of being able to scroll all day seems to be the biggest distraction from work while at home.
“I’m mostly distracted by my phone during virtual. It’s hard to put it down and just get my work done,” said Michael Nickolov (‘26).
With so many distractions, it can be easy to see how productivity would be decreased during virtual days.
“I think it depends on the student. The more motivated people will get more work done, and the less motivated will do less,” said Warren.
Overall, it seems the productivity of virtual days hinges upon one’s motivation. The break can be a well-needed escape from school or even a way to catch up, but only if one is diligent enough to get the assigned work done.
