Thomas Wright once said, "To live is not simply to breathe; it is to know life and all of its components." One of those components is always education, which is a weapon in society. Without it, an individual could be justifiably categorized as defenseless. To take away a person's education would be dangerous and possibly detrimental to his or her success in life. American classrooms are designed to offer students a suitable education for general success, but they do not accommodate the obvious individuality among students. Due to the variety of students' lives, not every child is able to be present in the classroom every single day. Although in-person learning is more effective, because the medical issues and travel commitments of students are inevitable, students would benefit significantly from having the opportunity to attend classes from home.

Every person has known sickness and has not been fond of it, but the overall dislike of the common cold does not stop its occurrences. It is not a celebrity or criminal the world can shame into termination; it is a part of life each individual unfortunately must endure. Kids are known to become ill more often than adults, so it would make sense for schools to offer plans for these situations like distance learning. I have a classmate named Generic_Name who contracted a serious strand of the flu. Generic_Name was forced to miss over a week of class, which put her behind in every course. Now she's struggling to make up work while still learning new objectives; it is quite stressful. This is beyond her control and although her teachers are understanding, there is only so much they can do. If Generic_Name would have had the opportunity to take her classes at home, she would not be too far behind. Because this option is not offered, her week of struggle has bled into the rest of the grading period. Some people may argue that people do not want to do work while they are sick, but this does not apply to every student. Students should at least have the option to be on top of their work, which distance learning provides.

When thinking of luxurious places to be, school is generally one of the last destinations that come to mind. That is not to say that no person considers school his or her top priority because some people do. However, it is more common to state that many students consider an alternate commitment as their superior priority. There are numerous student athletes who value sports as if they are gold. Many students like my friend, Generic_Name, play sports outside of school that require them to travel very often. Generic_Name plays volleyball and has tournaments almost every weekend in places like Generic_City and Generic_City. Some of these trips require her to miss multiple days of school in order to attend them. Even though Generic_Name is very intelligent, she has poor grades because her passion requires her to miss class. This is not a true display of her academic abilities, yet she is penalized. If Generic_Name were able to have videos of each lecture and take online tests while on trips, her grades could be much higher. Some people might say it is her choice to participate in her sport, and she should be held responsible for those decisions. She does not choose to miss school on purpose; it is a result of what she loves to do. School is not the focus of every person's life; it varies among each individual. In America, freedom is advertised in every crevice of the country. Thus, students should be free to pursue what they love while still receiving an education.

Predicaments arise when a person least expects them; they tend to be nonnegotiable, uncontrollable situations that students can not help. A few years ago, I had to travel to three funerals in one school year. This did not just cause me to miss many days of class; upon returning to school, I had to learn in an environment where I could not live up to my full potential due to my emotional strain. At home I would have been more comfortable because I could openly grieve without disturbing a classmate. Even though it seems logical to allow me to stay at home, I was forced to go to school in order to avoid falling behind. I did not fall behind, but I was not able to execute assignments to the best of my ability whereas at home I could have. With access to online assignments my scores on each task would have been improved because I would have been in the comfort of my home. Some people might argue that since I would still be grieving, my grades would have been no different. This is not true; the pressure of a public environment is not equivalent to being in a familiar, safe environment like an individual's room. Feelings of safety often affect student performance; some people are more comfortable at home. Therefore, the option of virtual learning should be offered to maximize the success of each student.

Being physically present in the classroom can make a noticeable difference in a student's success; that is proven. Although this is true, life is unpredictable. No one plans on becoming ill or having numerous family commitments arise, but those situations do occur. School does not possess the highest importance for each individual; it could be athletics, wellness, or even family. Each student lives a different life, which a school system can not control. School is important, but students must be able to live outside of it. Education is not the only component of life.