Some may argue that attending an online rather than a public school would ruin your life, make you socially awkward, and maybe even ruin your grades. Some people say online school is one of the hardest things to recover from when you become an adult.
There are many reasons why an online school might be more challenging to participate in: managing your own time, not being able to ask a teacher in person for help, and, the hardest of all, not being able to socialize appropriately with people your age. This would sound like a nightmare to some, but to others, it would sound like a dream come true.
“Online school has made me realize my hate for public school was just getting up early in the morning,” Layla Johnson, a former Lakeland High School student who is now online, said.
Several people would think online school is a nightmare because they have friends in every class and around every corner. They love to socialize with people while at school.
Dealing with deadlines that are already created for you helps you manage time better and remember when things are due. Remembering to do your homework is already a struggle in itself.
“It provided me with the ability to connect with others that are a similar age to myself,” Asher Mealer said.
For others, not having to deal with people would help them greatly. There wouldn’t be kids in class shouting out answers, nor would there be a worry about ‘fitting in’ or ‘standing out’; there would probably be less drama, too.
Managing your time, doing your work at your speed, and not being rushed to complete assignments haphazardly would significantly affect some positively. Despite being helpful academically, how would someone socialize with people?
Not only do both online and public schools have pros and cons, but people themselves have pros and cons. Some perform better in more social settings, being able to ask questions from a teacher whenever needed, while others feel that it is easier to teach themselves and be away from students who might draw their attention away from their studies.
For students who get bullied, online school seems like the only option to get away from being made fun of, fearing that if they report it to an adult, it will only get worse if they get found out about communicating their worries. What should someone do if they see someone being bullied by others? The first thing they should do is tell their school counselor or a teacher.
Online school might seem like a great chance to get away from it all, but is it a good choice? Before transferring online, do some research to see if it really suits your needs. Transferring to an online school is something a person will be stuck with for a full year or maybe a semester, so keeping your mind open and thinking about the future should be a focus rather than focusing completely on the present.