Mason's Monolog

Distance Learning vs. Classroom Learning This week marks four weeks of participating in distance learning at home and there are no signs of going back to school anytime soon. After this week, all schoolwork, in my case, is going digital and I’ll be turning my paperwork in to the school. After that, my graduation depends purely on online work. I’ve gotta say I never expected to be graduating on the internet. I’d like to share a comparison as to how long schoolwork takes at home as compared to the time it takes to do at school. I think this varies from person to person, so I gathered opinions from other students, as well. For me, as someone who buckles down in school, I normally get my work done fairly quickly in a classroom setting. You’ll often see me being the first one to turn my work in because I feel I’m focused and efficient. I rarely get distracted in the classroom. With distance learning, however, I don’t find myself buckling down and being as dedicated with required schoolwork. I focus more of my time on other work needing to be done, errands I may need to run on a day to day basis or wanting to spend time with my friends. I think it’s because I never usually have this much free time so I take advantage of it and just do my own thing more often. It’s not the best approach, but on the other hand it is nice to be able to do the things I need/want to do without having to deal with the 35 hour per week schedule that attending school ties me to. I asked several students which they thought took more time when it comes to distance learning versus classroom learning? One student replied, “Work in school takes longer [because] I have anxiety at school so I guess I’m more relaxed [at home].” Student Gage Lowery said, “Work at home [takes longer] because I’m not entirely comfortable with the environment and sometimes I feel uneasy around other people.” Another student’s response was, “[Work] at home, because I’m not on a set schedule and I have all day [to work on it].” Dylan Lowe, student, said, “Work at home [because] I get distracted easily.” I think doing our schoolwork from home takes longer simply because our mind isn’t focused on our work 100%. I believe it’s easier to get distracted at home than in the classroom because it isn’t a structured setting and there’s no one overseeing or supervising us. This may not be true for everyone. I’m sure there are students that would disagree with me. Everyone has a different approach to learning and some may be more efficient in their new learning environment at home. If you have any questions about my distance learning experiences, please send me an e-mail at news@inhnews.com.