By Kathleen Huynh
Technology issues, loud relatives, and awkward breakout rooms have made distance learning rather unpleasant, but those unfortunate mishaps shouldn’t overshadow the perks. This may be an unpopular opinion, but distance learning kind of slaps. Compounded with a block schedule, distance learning has given me more agency over my own time and an opportunity to build strong habits.
With only three classes to attend per day, I have more ownership over my time. Even though I allocate much of my day to studying and school work, I still have more time for self-care. Learning from home has drastically improved my sleep schedule. I don’t have to wake up as early to beat traffic, and I’m able to nap during lunch — in my own bed! The decrease in workload per night, along with a block schedule, also means that I can go to bed earlier than usual or take my time to unwind at the end of the day. I’m not feeling as sluggish as the week progresses because of the asynchronous study day on Wednesday. The midweek break has done wonders for me; it’s the reason why my brain isn’t soup after several weeks of staring at a screen. Distance learning has been stressful, but so is regular school. The difference is that distance learning has given me more time to tend to my mental health instead of putting it on the back burner.
The reality is that all of us will eventually leave high school. In whatever endeavor you choose to pursue, time management will be a major factor in your success. Most of the traditional school system has micromanaged us with daily homework assignments and the industrial bell schedule. On the other hand, distance learning has provided a low stakes environment to help us develop and strengthen basic time management skills. During the past few weeks, I’ve been able to try out different methods of planning and choose the one that best suits me. I’ve also seen a notable change in my mindset. The way I see it, I’m the only person in the way of my own success. I’m more motivated and disciplined to complete the tasks at hand, knowing that there isn’t someone pushing back on my idleness. Additionally, the paranoia of missing an assignment due to cluttered Google Classroom streams has made me more attentive and more diligent in my planning. Even if I happen to miss an assignment, teachers are more lenient and understanding because of distance learning (as long as you don’t make late work a habit).
I concede that distance learning is not as peachy as I make it sound. We’re all struggling, and it’s highly unrealistic to expect everyone to adapt to the situation instantaneously. However, it’s also not very productive to focus on the negative aspects of this unfortunate situation. The situation is what you make it.