Many people believe that online education was far superior to in-person education, because of course it’s much more comfortable and convenient to do school at home. But has it really helped? I believe not. Not only have students been getting a much heavier workload than usual, due to teachers believing that we as students have more time on our hands as we attend class from home, but students aren’t even retaining the information they learn because of the inherent nature of online learning. Another arguable point is the fact that online learning is much more stressful than in-person, and therefore it has taken its toll on many students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Due to doing homework, tests, and projects on our computers, many students have resorted to cheating during exams, or finding the answers online for homework. While this was already a problem before, it was much easier to see which students were actually doing the work when test day or presentation day came. This isn’t by any means a majority, as many students realize the effects of cheating now and having it come back to haunt them later, but it is happening. 

Not only that, but it’s also harder to focus in class when sitting in bed or on a couch. The temptation of gaming during class or instead of doing homework is also a big problem. During in-person learning, there were fewer distractions during and between classes, and while this made school incredibly boring at times, it made for an easier way to concentrate. During online classes, concentration can be virtually impossible, especially for people with low attention spans. 

It’s also taken a visible toll on students’ mental well-being, as students are burning out much faster than previously. With teachers assigning a heavier workload in order to try to catch up on the lost class time, students are having a much more difficult time completing all their work correctly and on time. This just adds to the stress, making it consistently harder to keep up with assignments and keep their grades up. While certain teachers have made accommodations and are willing to work with students on making sure that the virus hasn’t affected their grades too much, some students take it harder than others and teachers simply cannot cater to every individual. 

That’s why I believe that while online school is much more comfortable, in-person makes it easier to retain the information taught. Online school may be easier to pass in theory, but in the long run in-person makes it easier to concentrate and retain information. It is also, contrary to popular belief, much better for students’ mental wellbeing, as not only do they see their friends every day, but they also don’t have the added stress of technical difficulties and only having a certain class 2 days a week. This allows for more review before tests, which is always very helpful.