No one expected to be sitting at home attending class through a screen, but that has become the reality due to COVID-19. 

The recent COVID-19 outbreak has meant students around the world have moved out of the typical school setting to online distance learning. To many schools, like Columbia Heights High School, online schooling is very new and uncharted territory. What used to be sitting in a classroom with fellow peers and friends listening to your teacher lecture and participating in group activities is now sitting in the comfort of your own home attending a virtual video meeting on Zoom. 

Although some students miss going to school and seeing their friends, taking courses online can teach students great discipline skills. Distance learning means students are more responsible for their work since they aren’t restricted by a school setting or teachers giving that mandate of completing work on their schedule. This could lead more students to success and improved time management skills. 

“I think distance learning is better because I can get work done faster than in regular school,” Olivia Sarkinen (11) said. “I also feel like I get to spend more time with my family with online school because the school days aren’t as long.”

Distance learning also creates fewer distractions than you would typically experience being in school. Students have the freedom to be in the quiet of their own home without the disruption of 20-30 students one would get in the classroom. 

Because students are not at school for seven hours of the day, they have more free time and availability to get assignments done. Distance learning gets rid of unnecessary and redundant work that can be brought to students because of the hours sitting in the classroom. This means relatively less work and stress for students, while focusing on the necessities of learning.

“We’re able to work at our own pace. Normally in class we’re in a rush to turn in an assignment and we end up turning in something that isn’t of great quality,” Jon Arias (11) said. “But now, if we didn’t finish an assignment during the ‘school’ hours, we have more time after school to finish.”

Distance learning has also shown to positively affect grades among students. Because it only focuses on what students need, the lighter workload makes it easier for students to catch up and stay on top of their assignments. Students have more time during the day to get missing assignments done, unlike with normal school hours where students would otherwise sit in classrooms for half the day.

Overall, online schooling has many great benefits. Although this can be a very tough time, students can get a lot out of this change. During this time students can better themselves by creating their own motivation to learn and do well academically. Students should take advantage of the perks of being able to lay in bed during school and having all day to complete assignments. Even though we are lacking the human interaction that we would normally have at school, Zoom and the many perks of the internet allow us to stay connected. 

Teachers, students, families and friends can all get through this time of seclusion and have more freedom and flexibility to improve skills that come with everyday life, including school.