By Palina Yamkavaya, Staff Writer
The COVID-19 pandemic has meant drastic adjustments for nearly everyone, including students who had to switch to remote learning. Even though many students prefer a traditional way of classroom teaching, for others, remote learning has been a blessing in disguise. Here are some of the reasons why I love online instruction:
There is no fixed schedule. Students are able to sleep in because there is no need to show up for an early morning. class at least twice a week. If you study better in the morning, you don’t have to worry about taking that one three-hour psychology class on a Wednesday night. You can do schoolwork at any time, as long as it’s done by the deadline.
Technology contributes to comfort. Remote learning allows students to listen to the lectures from the comfort of their own bed. Lectures can be tiresome, but having to listen to one being wrapped up in your favorite blanket with a cup of tea is a much better experience than sitting in a cold classroom.
More focus. Lack of social distractions at home compared to the usual school setting allows students to actually focus on their studies. I’m sure everyone has been found guilty of chatting with friends too long over the break at least once, or not finishing that one assignment you promised yourself to finish before class in the library and never did because all your friends were hanging out in the cafeteria.
It’s eco-friendly and saves money. There’s no commute- all you have to do is charge your laptop and know your way around Zoom. Since there’s no daily commute, there’s much less pollution that goes out into the atmosphere on a regular pre-covid school day. In addition, you don’t need to buy textbooks and notebooks because all you need is a computer and no bus pass or gas money.
More time to spend. When they cut out the ride to school, students have more time left during the day. It allows us to take up new hobbies, nap in-between classes, and even graduate faster! I was able to take more classes this semester; now, instead of two-and-a-half years, I will graduate in just two.
Teaches self-discipline. Remote learning clearly has been a challenge for many young adults going to school mostly because they lack self-discipline and have poor time-management skills. Even though the pandemic might have been harsh on those students at first, many reported having learned better self-discipline and independence. Being able to manage your own schedule and time is definitely a great skill for life and essential for future success.
Easier to combine with a job. It’s been pretty challenging since the start of the pandemic as a lot of people experience job loss. Still, the flexible schedule of e-learning allows building your job schedule around your schoolwork without having to regularly compromise one or the other. I’ve been working and studying full-time since spring. It’s been easier for me to combine both and succeed once the remote learning was implemented.
Family time. This pandemic has allowed people to reconnect with their families, as most of us are forced to stay home. COVID-19 has been a great wake-up call for me regarding how little time I spend with family, even though we live under the same roof.
Online learning has been an amazing experience for me. I finally found the time to do so many things I’ve been delaying doing because of all the school workload. It made me a more responsible young adult, allowed me to have more time for myself and my family, and finally get those hours of sleep I’ve been missing out on for a very long time.
