While it has been proven that school is statistically one of the safest environments for students to be, those who attend school may not all say the same. Several students are victim to peer pressure each day, often feeling forced into making rash decisions that could land them in academic, mental, or physical trouble; the circumstance for this varies with each student. Some may feel more comfortable in the classrooms, where they are away from the unsupervised children in the halls, or some may feel safer away from the classroom, where peers could indirectly apply unwanted or unnecessary pressure to another student. The range of these social pressures could be anything; from being forced to work in a group of students that constantly clash, to being forced into trying out drugs behind school bleachers. In some instances, students don't feel pressured by their peers at all; teachers, schoolwork, homework, or even the building itself are all other factors that can cause unwanted pressure or stress. If students were able to work from home, they would be free to develop their own schedule for getting their work done, and would be able to do so without the constant anxiety from outside forces.

Making the shift from going to school to taking classes at home would not be difficult, as online classes are no foreign affair. Already, students have been given the oppurtunity to take classes from home to help even out their schedule, to catch up with lost time, or to get a jumpstart on what they would need to do next year. If students were able to take all of their classes online, they wouldn't need to worry about catching up. Students would be free to work on assignments throughout the week on their own time, developing their own work schedule as to how they want to get things done. This would help eleviate some of the stress regarding how much work they would need to complete "outside of class."

Students would also be free to work without the push of peer pressure. Not only would they be able to work in an environment that is without social distraction, they would be able to do so in an environment that is calming and familiar. There are many children and teens across the world that suffer from some form of social anxiety, and are constantly afraid of what might happen when they enter the school premises. Many students who have to deal with this anxiety are still forced to do projects that involve speaking in front of the class or working with students they are not familiar with. If students were able to work from their homes, they would not have to receive their education while in a state of constant fear. They would be more focused on the work provided for them rather than the social distractions of mistreatment, bullying, and peer pressure. This means that students may actually feel more confident in their abilities to complete assignments on their own since they will no longer be faced with potential criticism from their peers.

Not only do online classes require less from the students socially, but financially as well. Since most of the work done in online classes is saved to a hard drive or a student email account, there would be no need to buy copious amounts of school supplies. In fact, most of their "supplies" would be neatly compiled for them all in one place: their school assigned laptop. Students would be able to work without lugging around five different binders and an agenda to get through the school day. Of course, there could be special instances where students may need some extra supplies beyond just their laptop--but even these requirements would be drastically smaller than the typical checklist of a public school student.

There are instances in which students feel that working at home would not be beneficial. Some students use school as their means to interact with friends they otherwise can't see outside of the school week. Other feel that working at home would provide its own personal distractions, such as family pets roaming the house, younger siblings who have yet to go to school, or even parents who also work from home. The indirect communication with teachers from an online class may provide unforeseen complicaitons with the student's ability to deeply grasp whatever concept he or she is trying to learn.

To some, these cons of working from home outweigh the pros. Of course, there will never be one true way of education that is perfect for everyone. Each student has his or her own personal needs and preferences; situations that they will work better or worse in; classes that they better grasp than others. Working from home may provide its own new distractions, but much like the issues regarding public school, these kinks can be addressed and overcome. Students who find their pets or siblings to be distracting can find a quiet, empty space within their house that they can choose to make their "work space" for the day. Those who find that they are having trouble understanding a concept can continue to discuss it more with their teacher once their class has ended, or even schedule private classes with the teacher outside of the "class period" to receive more direct one-on-one assistance. Students could even use their school emails as a means to communcating with their friends and use this as a tool to schedule out-of-school hangouts they otherwise couldn't schedule before.

With online classes, students would be free to manage their schedule entirely themselves. By working from home, students would have the oppurtunity to receive a more managed, independent, and focused education.