Mason's Monolog

I’d like to talk about the pros and cons of online schooling versus physical classes. There are many differences between the two, but in comparison, which is better? Let’s find out. Let’s talk about the pros of physical classes. First thing I want to mention is face to face interactions with your teachers. Some students learn better this way and for some subjects, I do too. My second pro is being able to get help when you need it. In the classroom, if you raise your hand, within a very short time, depending on how busy your teacher is, you’ll get help. Thirdly, you’re able to hang out with your friends in school between classes, at lunch and during any other downtime you may have throughout the day. Now for the pros of distance learning. First off, you’re working in an environment in which you’re more comfortable, which means, in theory, you’re more productive. Secondly, the work, at least in my case, is substantially easier. The work I get on a day to day basis is equal to one subject per day and takes 15 minutes or less to complete, depending on how much work is assigned. Thirdly, there’s more free time in the day to do what you want and/or need to do. There’s more time to go to work, run errands or for leisure activities. Here are several cons of physical classes. The first is that you’re tied down to a 30 hour per week schedule. That doesn’t leave much time to work, play sports and spend time with your friends outside of school. You can make it work, but there’s not much time to work all three into a tight schedule. For some, they are forced to choose between work, sports or friends. The next con is bullying in school. Bullying is a huge problem in all schools and, in my opinion, there is not enough being done about it. It’s puts a mental strain on kids that are victims. Another con...rumors are a huge problem in schools. So much false information can be spread quite quickly throughout the halls and it can be very hurtful. And finally, drugs and vaping are issues that need to be dealt with. Now on to the cons of distance learning. The first con is you’re not having physical interactions with your teachers. While you may have video calls with your teachers, this may not suffice for those who learn better with physical interaction. Secondly, you can’t get help as soon as you need it like you can in a classroom. You can get help, but the response time is not as quick. Sometimes you may have to wait until the next day to get the help you need. And my final con is some kids won’t take the initiative to get their work done on time. I was talking to one of my teachers and she said that I was the only one completing my work. I found that quite surprising. I feel that they’re practically handing us seniors our diploma at this point. It’s not that we haven’t done the work required to graduate, but I think they don’t want to pile on heavy workloads at this point because there’s plenty of stressors in our lives already with the COVID situation. Some students are taking care of their siblings, cooking and cleaning, and others are trying to make ends meet so they can pay their bills if they own a vehicle or live on their own. In my opinion, distance learning has its drawbacks, but they’re a fair price to pay to avoid the cons of physical school.