31 Struggles Every Online School Student Knows All Too Well
Online school is a blessing and a curse. While you have the freedom to procrastinate as you please, wear a onesie while writing an essay and decide when it's time for a well-deserved nap because you successfully opened Microsoft Word, online school isn't for everyone. I say this because, for the past 6 years, I've been trying to convince myself online school is for me. (And it is.)
Don't get me wrong, online school is very manageable, however, if your favourite thing to do is convince yourself that you'll "do it later" or if you have a tendency to hermit (locking yourself away from the outside world and all human contact) - maybe you might wanna reconsider.
At the end of the day, you are your own teacher, classmates and tutor, while still being a student. There's no one there to yell at you to do write your term paper because it's due tomorrow. Whether you are currently an online school student and know the struggle all too well or you're a perspective online school student - here's a list of a few struggles that are the reason for our tears.
With online schooling comes great responsibility, and by "responsibility" I mean struggles that often make you contemplate whether education is really worth it.
Typing the letters "F" "T" or "Y" into your search bar and somehow ending up on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
Let's be honest, we will type in "cell division" and still end up on social media.
Taking an hour break in between your 3-5 minute work periods.
A well-deserved break after all my hard work. (This is not a joke, we truly convince ourselves of this.)
"I need a snack."
There is food beside your keyboard 98% of the time.
Classes without assignment deadlines.
It's all fun and games until you're crying hysterically on your floor trying to finish a semester's worth of assignments in 24 hours.
Even worse, classes with no assignments and only a midterm and a final.
You'll never really know if you actually understand the material until you bomb your midterm.
Having to learn the material so you can teach it to yourself.
Like I said, you're the teacher and the student.
Having a question when you're doing work outside of regular "school hours" and having to until the school day for your teacher/TA to reply to your email.
But nothing beats those cool TA's that respond to your midnight emails. The real MVPs.
Sending your teacher/TA 23 separate emails with your questions because the further you got in the textbook the more confused you became.
Subject: PLS SEND HELP.
Planning to put in work but deciding to take a 3-hour nap instead.
I'm just resting my eyes from staring at this computer screen... I'll wake up energized...
When you actually have the motivation to do some work and every piece of technology you have fails you.
Technology is the actual devil.
Video chats.
I don't care how great your internet is, any type of video chat will freeze. "I can't hear you! Hello? You're frozen." I think it's time to let it go.
When you do have online classes (sessions), there's almost always an audio issue.
You can either hear the teacher's whining toddler in the background or their mouth is moving but there is no sound.
"Microsoft Word has crashed."
So has my will to complete this paper, honestly.
When you're finally in the zone and your computer tells you it has a low battery.
And of course, your charger is nowhere to be found.
When you realized you actually have to buy Microsoft Office and it does not come with the computer and it is not covered by the school.
"Sorry, I couldn't complete my assignments. My free trial of Microsoft Office expired."
Feeling like you should always be doing school work.
It's literally always in staring you in the face everywhere you go. (This still doesn't motivate us to do it.)
You feel left out of everything.
There's no sororities, frat parties, or kegs - just virtual textbooks, a virtual teacher and online discussion forums
Always feeling like you plagiarised something.
I can't tell if these were my own thoughts and ideologies or something I read on Reddit... this entire essay is a blur.
Taking an online class while in regular school.
This is either the best or worst thing you've ever done to yourself.
GROUP. PROJECTS.
But how? How do you expect me to do this? Half of my classmates live in a different timezone.
If organization isn't one of your strong suits, online school is complete hell.
Where the hell did I put my log in?
Online Mathematics is the work of the devil.
If I ever have to make another graph again...
You've read more online entertainment articles than you have research articles.
But I just had to know which Mean Girls character my university was.
That being said, you've also probably googled: "How to stay motived/focused or How to be productive" a couple times as well.
And you've contemplated dropping out...
Being overly familiar with dating sites because you never actually meet people anymore.
Tinder if you're looking to have fun, OKCUPID if you want a good meal, but I would try e-Harmony or PlentyOfFish if you're looking for something serious.
"You're online schooled? You're sooo lucky!"
Am I, though? Am I really?
"You're online schooled, you have it easy."
Don't ever talk to me ever again.
No one taking into account the fact that online school is still school.
"It's just online school, you can do it later." "So, why can't you work more shifts again?"
While regular school students have school between the hours of 8 and 4, you can easily find yourself at your desk for nearly 12 hours a day.
There's no school bells to tell you when you start and when it's over. The bell rings when the semester starts and doesn't ring again until you complete your final.
"There's always tomorrow."
Our favorite phrase until tomorrow is the final.
Although, you have a love/hate relationship with online school - the thought of going to a regular school is nauseating.
Ew... other humans... deadlines... 8AM classes... I think not.
