Buena students had a unique opportunity to return to Buena’s campus for in person study sessions this past Nov. 18, in an attempt to return to normal school interactions and receive help with schoolwork. Jacob Juarez, the AP Chemistry teacher, announced his study group as a way to offer his students extra help.

“The first time I heard [from my AP Lang teacher] that some teachers were going to be hosting in person study cohorts, I was very eager and excited to sign up for as many as possible. When my chem teacher Mr. Juarez announced he was doing one, I signed up right away,” Junior  Noel Takaya, a regular attendee said.

Study groups at Buena are not mandatory, but are optional for students who want extra help. Before study groups were officially announced, students in their zoom classrooms filled out a poll  about the days and times that would work best for them. Amidst the chaos of distance learning, study groups became a more valuable resource for Buena students.

For each study group, students who signed up were sent an email containing a map on where to enter and exit Buena’s campus. Each study group is held in the hosting teacher’s classroom and the time of the study session varys. 

“Although coming to school on my own time would not seem like a fun endeavor, I was eager for this particular group,” Junior Elias Wiggins said.”It felt great to return to Buena, even if only for a short time.” 

Study groups also provided students with the opportunity to meet their teachers in person.

The study session for AP Chemistry students was also the first time they met their teacher, Mr. Juarez, in person as it’s his first year at Buena.

Compared to distance learning, it was much easier for students to voice their concerns to their teachers. 

“My favorite thing about the study group was being able to easily ask questions and be more engaged than through zoom,” Wiggins said.

 Study groups at Buena are a good alternative that can help get you back in the groove.

I would certainly recommend any students to join a study group if they are looking to succeed in their class,” Wiggins said.