So, that online school thing. Are we still doing that? You bet. It’s been just over two months since I started my junior year from the comfort of my basement, and I thought I’d share my thoughts: the pros, cons, ups, and downs. Which version do I like better? Do I even learn at all? You’ll be able to find out. Of course, these are my personal opinions and experiences with online school, so what I say, everyone won’t necessarily agree with. I’ve had some good experiences with online learning before, so I went into this school year with high expectations, thinking I’ll be able to learn just fine. I’m relatively good at keeping a routine and staying motivated, but you’re going to find out whether those habits fell apart once homework started rolling in or not. *stressed noises*
Pros
I don’t spend two hours on the bus every day
Because of that, I can sleep until 8am which is very good for the junior year late night grind (I take my 8 hours VERY seriously)
Also because of that, I have time to work out every day
My school doesn’t have class on Mondays, so it’s like having an extra day of the weekend
We have less tests (and most of them are open note 🥰)
Consequently, I have a lot more free time everyday to relax and do other things (like get actual sleep)
I’m stressed but definitely less stressed due to school than I probably would be in a normal junior year
I don’t have to spend time getting ready in the morning/worrying about my outfit
I have more time for meals (especially breakfast, which last year I pretty much inhaled in five minutes before I had to catch the bus)
Breaks between classes are twice as long
Cons
I don’t leave the house
Social interaction has gone out the window aka I text about five people and that’s it (if you’re reading this please call me)
Thus, we bottle up our feelings on a weekly basis and is that a healthy decision? Maybe not but we’re cruising for now
My attention span has also left the building
I spend all of my days sitting down at the computer which is 1. Very bad for my eyes and 2. Very bad for my health
Online tests suck (quick side rant here: cheating is made so much easier online and it’s also much more difficult to regulate and enforce, which makes it really unfair for people who are actually honest okay moving on)
No one turns their cameras or mics on so every class is awkward city
If the AP tests are close note and in person I will be #veryscrewed
If the AP tests are paper-pencil I will be #evenmorescrewed because I have not written a single Chinese character since May
I wear the same outfit every day which honestly could be a pro because it’s all sweats but it’s also a con because 90% of my closet goes unworn
Views from when it was still light outside at 6pm
Online or In Person?
If I were to choose between going to school right now and staying online for school, I would 100% choose online because of how much safer it is. I’m definitely someone who can keep myself accountable and likes making my own schedule, which is easier with online school, but the safety aspect to me is the most important thing. I went into school a couple times for SATs and things like that, and social distancing is so so much easier said than done. Especially since I live with people more at risk than I am, I just feel a lot safer staying home and eliminating all of the risk factors that come with taking public transportation, using public restrooms, and being in the same building as 400 other people, eight hours a day multiple days a week. But for those of you that do go back to school, wear your masks, social distance, and be safe please <3.
However, if you asked me whether I would do online or in-person school during a normal year (for example, the 2018-19 school year where no global pandemic shenanigans existed), I would totally choose in-person school. I miss my friends, I miss going out and about, I miss having social interactions, and I just miss normalcy, and to me, in-person school is that normalcy. I think doing in-person school is the best and healthiest option for me because although I value my alone time (big virgo energy), I miss seeing people. Even when I went back to school for four hours to take an exam, the short conversations that I had with my friend sitting next to me (6 feet away) or the hellos I exchanged with my friends in the hallway made my day because it was so nice to freely talk to people without the barrier of a screen or the awkwardness of an online class.
Overall, I miss other people. If COVID could swiftly exit the premises I’d be much happier. Wear your masks. Do your part. Make good decisions. Stay safe everyone thanks for reading (much love).
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