High School students are currently going through some of the most major milestones in their life ranging from choosing a path after high school, taking their SAT, and some are even making attempts at getting their permit or license. However, the pandemic has made the process of getting these DMV documents to be a more strenuous process than it has ever been in the past. Students have found issues with a multitude of steps in the process such as the long waiting, learning to drive, and going to the actual DMV itself.
The majority of High School students do not have a flexible schedule to dedicate their entire day to a DMV appointment. Angela Sosa, a high school senior, was able to get her license during the pandemic but at the cost of a school day. Sosa said,¨ I had to wait ten hours in a line just to get my license.¨ Angela Sosa could manage the day off from school, but this is not the case for all students.
With less people outside now as a result of the pandemic, learning how to drive has been far less stressful for student drivers. Danny Benitez, a Junior, is one of the students who had to learn how to drive during the pandemic. Benitez stated,¨ There was usually less cars and traffic on the roads.¨ The pandemic may limit the amount of outdoor activities people can do but at least driving is not one of them.
Many students are now opting for online testing in order to avoid the long lines at the DMV. Emelyn Martinez is a Senior who has to go to school and work making going to the DMV a huge toll on her. Martinez found that,¨There is no need to go into the DMV unless it is to submit documents.¨ The entire process is far too strenuous and students are finding ways to work around it. Technology has allowed for such work arounds to be made possible.
Even in the midst of the pandemic, students are still making attempts at living normal teenage lives and making steps towards adulthood. It is not the ideal setting but nothing can be done and kids are not going to halt their lives for something they can not control. In a modern age, teenagers have implemented their modern solutions through innovative technology and self advocacy. Let the drivers of the future pave their own roads and hopefully yield to pedestrians on the way.