Senior year came faster than expected, and I think it is safe to say that I was completely unprepared for the problems that lay ahead of me during the year. From filling out college applications and scholarship essays, to the extreme senioritis that I have already gotten a quarter into my final year, I can easily say that the Chromebooks have been the biggest stress that I have faced all year.

For the current seniors, this is now our fourth year having the “privilege” of using Chromebooks, but I believe they have been more of a hassle than they have benefitted us. When I first heard that we were going to be getting new computers before the school year started, I was relieved. My old one was a piece of junk that I was happy to leave behind, but as it turns out, what was supposed to be an upgrade was actually a downgrade in my opinion. I had so many problems with my new Chromebook at the beginning of the school year that I spent more time worrying about that than I did other priorities, such as homework and extracurricular activities. For some reason, my computer wouldn’t type certain letters, inconveniently prohibiting me from logging into any of my accounts.

Sadly, my Chromebook dilemma did not end there. Not even a week later, my computer screen shattered. I thought these new Chromebooks were supposed to be heavier duty, or else why were they so much heavier and bulkier than the last ones? This time, when I brought my fancy new Chromebook to be fixed I was given a loaner computer to compensate for my unfortunate loss, and of course it wouldn’t charge or turn on the entire time I had it. I was told by the Chromebook guy to come back in a week to pick up my fixed one, so I sat anxiously awaiting for the day I would get it back.

A week came and went and I finally ventured back into the library for the third-too-many time in my first month of senior year, and what I saw horrified me. The Chromebook guy was “not in today.” What do you mean “not in”? I waited an entire week, all for nothing. I tried to ignore my disgust. Obviously it isn’t his fault because he has a lot to do on a daily basis and other schools to be at, but our school needs someone to be at LHS full-time to fulfill the needs of our students.

There are other qualities of our Chromebooks that need to be addressed, especially how it is frustrating that students have to re-login to their computers every time it is shut. Personally, I dread leaving class at the end of the period because I know that I will be shutting my computer off, so I am tempted to walk around school with my Chromebook open in the halls.

Overall, my experience with Chromebooks over the last four years has been unimpressive. I, or rather my parents, have had to pay too many fees, take my battery out too many times and get a loaner computer way more times than I would like to admit. If the school district expects that every student utilize the computer they are provided, we should be given a better model. It isn’t like the district is short any money; why not use that to provide each school, LHS included, nicer computers that will benefit the students more and also a full-time computer staff member available to students any time?