Opinion of online courses

Last year when I heard about the opportunity to take an online course I immediately signed up. I have been interested in taking online course since my freshman year but didn’t think I would get the opportunity until college. I was warned how hard it would be to remember when assignments are due, the “no explanation” part for assignments, and how the class would affect me socially. This turned out to be completely false from my experience.  Online English was more fast paced, got to the point much quicker, and gave less assignments. Less assignments allowed me to finish the assignment in one day, turn it in, and then have the rest of the week to start on other assignments.

English classes tend to, from my experience, drag out units when they really could be completely finished in no more than a week. In the past I didn’t feel a need to spend five hours in a class a week doing assignments that would take me a combined time of two hours tops. Sometimes in previous classes we would just read a book for one hour every day of the week. I felt that was a waste of time because I could be easily doing that at home and then finishing the assignment for the week in that same hour that i’m in the class. I loved the simplicity of coming to a class once a week, being told what the assignment was, and then leaving. That worked for me and my schedule because the free time I had that usually was being spent in class dragging out an explanation of an assignment/project I could be finishing a months worth of work.

I couldn’t even begin to tell you the amount of stress I was relieved from by taking this online course. Maybe it was just my teacher I had but the workload, projects, and weekly assignments came so easy to me and were way more enjoyable than what I had done in previous years. The freedom I gained from this class was the best thing about this entire year. I looked forward to the break I got every single day and just knowing I had an hour outside to talk to friends, eat lunch, and finish my weekly assignment made me so glad I took this class everyday. The whole “an online class doesn’t help you with your social skills” is a complete lie from my experience in this class. My teacher made sure to include interactive activities like vlogs, commenting on others posts, and group projects. Yeah some might say since these things are online they aren’t the same but I thought my social skills were used just as much as in a normal class. I would still talk to my friends in the online class outside of the classroom and used that free hour to discuss assignments and projects with them if I didn’t get a further explanation from my teacher.

I recommend online classes to as many people as I could because I love them far more than I thought I would. I even convinced my friends to apply for the online class next year and boasted about how great my experience was taking this class. I worked so much better in an online environment especially as a more reserved person. Students succeed more in an online class because like me, they think the fast paced course was way better than the dragged out lectures and work assigned weekly. It really only takes a day to explain what to do for a unit and there isn’t a need to go to class five days a week to be given a worksheet and told to complete it.

I would do anything in my power to take multiple online courses next year if they were allowed. Online classes work and it proves by how many online classes or even colleges completely online are out there. I don’t enjoy waking up so early in the morning and being forced to be enclosed in a classroom for an hour everyday. That’s why students complain about being in class and show that they do not want to be there. The freedom to just go on canvas, check what assignment was posted, and complete it at what ever time you wanted was amazing. Getting to be outside with our friends just working on assignments may seem like it would be distracting but for me it was more motivating than ever. I was happier and in a better mood which reflected into my effort I put into the class. If a student is tired, bored, and annoyed at hearing yet another lecture from a teacher than it will show in their work.

I succeeded in this class because I did the assignments when I wanted meaning they weren’t done with half the effort that I could have put in. I also only got maybe two assignments at most per week which didn’t leave me overwhelmed and stressed that I won’t have time to study or do other assignments for other classes. Teachers in my previous English classes didn’t put into account that I had other classes and that I have priorities outside of school but this class did. They would overwork me with assignments that took me three to six hours to finish a night but this class put that stress to ease. The teacher made sure to give us time in class to do weekly assignments and usually let us finish everything due. I really hope the district allows for more online classes for seniors and lets me expand more on my love for online classes.

 

Summer: Expectation vs. Reality

Hanging out with friends, traveling, and relaxing are some of the many expectations you have set up during the summer time. You will have all of this free time that you expect to use all of because of all of the plans set up in your mind. Nine times out of ten you don’t do any of these things. Summer is much more boring and leaves you actually missing school because at least you could see your friends almost everyday.

This video shows how my summer ends up being every year and how none of my plans actually happen like I thought. Like trying to spend time with your friends but they are all on vacation or just too busy to hang out with you. This is why summer mainly consists of binge watching at least five new shows on netflix and sleeping all day long. You might travel for a weekend or hang out with your friends once or twice but that is usually it. Which in reality isn’t all that exciting.

Another article I found thoroughly shows more expectations vs. reality of summer such as exercising more, finally cleaning your room, and traveling to places like London with your best friends. Summer consists more of sleeping and eating lots of unhealthy food while watching movies all day in bed. Summer ends up so boring that you weirdly wish you were in class instead of at home again. At least for me that happens.

I actually enjoy the free time I have but I feel like too much free time can drive you insane with boredom. You see movies, tv shows, and even hear people at school talk about all of these things you’re supposed to do with your two and a half months of newly found freedom. You shouldn’t use that as an expectation for what summer will be like. Be realistic and just expect to relax a lot and have your mom telling you to do more chores than usual.