Online Classes: Taxing or Relaxing?

Online Classes: Taxing or Relaxing?

In our technology-filled world, it is very hard to catch a break from our phones and computers. School is an escape from the constant notifications and tapping away on our phones. Now that COVID-19 has caused an international pandemic, school is no longer stopping us from turning our devices off, as we are at home all day participating in online classes. How does it impact our daily lives? 

In my opinion, online classes are definitely something to get used to. Though there is davening every day, mandatory classes start at 9:45 AM on regular weekdays. That’s seen as an upside to distance learning by most students, granting us the opportunity to get many extra hours of sleep, especially for those who normally commute. Moreover, “school” now ends at the seemingly early hour of 3:00 PM for most students, as opposed to 4:45. On the other hand, there are many negative things said about our new form of remote learning. For example, the sheer act of staring at a screen for at least 4 hours a day; plus the additional expected hours of homework and studying is extremely tiring. Personally, I have felt exhausted at times after sitting in the same place for hours on end. Along with that, school granted us large amounts of time every day to socialize. Now that distanced learning has interfered in human interactions,  socializing is sadly no longer an option. Moreover, adjusting to Zoom for some teachers has been difficult, which affects the students’ learning. I have had some instances where teachers were talking while muted, not knowing that nobody was able to hear them until someone let them know in the chat. However, this is not to say that students have not had trouble with Zoom as well, all adding to the hardships of controlling online learning. In reality, it all comes down to personal preference. 

Are you a technologically-oriented person who enjoys staying home, or are you a social butterfly who thrives in a classroom? I know for myself that I can’t wait to be back at school!