Have you ever wanted to stay home and learn in your pajamas? Well, with distance learning, that is possible! I think students would benefit from being able to attend classes from home because it can help students who might be struggling socially or mentally, can be great for students who come from a background of poverty or complicated family life, and can create an environment that would fill the needs and preferences of some students.

Being given the opportunity to work from home will prove to be hugely beneficial to students who struggle socially or mentally in their daily lives. Problems at school, such as bullying or lack of friends (leading to loneliness), can reflect poorly on a students' grades. If a student is constantly worried about their bullies or is always trying to "fit in", they will put less time into studying for school and their grades could drop significantly. Likewise, many high schoolers deal with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Being able to work in the comfort of their own home would eliminate the possible cause of the problem and allow the student time to focus on themselves, which could result in the improvement of their mental health. For example, a student with high levels of anxiety might be too anxious in school to show their full potential. Working from home, however, would allow them to fully express themselves in their education.

Doing school from home would also benefit students who come from a background of poverty or have some sort of complicated family life that requires their parents to work a lot. Although we don't always think of it, even public schools can be expensive or challenging for families stuck deep in poverty. Gas money, lunch money, and money for the students' clothing or special events, like field trips, all add up over time. While parents could save gas money by making their children take the bus to school, this is not always a reliable method of transportation, especially in poorer areas. I grew up and went to school in downtown Detroit. The bus system there was terrible, unreliable, and often times unsafe; many parents preferred to drive their children to school or have them walk. For poorer families who live in districts outside of the bus route, their children being given the opportunity to work from home would save them time and gas money. Working from home would also eliminate the need for the student to dress "fashionably", as they could just wear whatever they wanted, which would save poorer families a lot of money on clothing.

Distance learning also creates an environment that fills the needs and preferences of some students. For example, a lot of students struggle with severe or mild A.D.H.D., a problem that affects a student's ability to remain focused for an extended amount of time. Working from home would take away distractions and allow a student to devote their full attention to their schooling. Being distracted in class can bring down grades significantly, and there are a lot of things that can be distracting during the school day. Learning from home also allows students to travel. A couple of years ago, my parents' job forced them to travel constantly. At the time, me and my siblings were too young to be on our own for long, so they had to bring us along with them on their travels. Online schooling proved to be extremely beneficial during this time, because we could study and do school as we were travelling and at a speed that proved most beneficial to us. Online schooling allows for a student to go at their own pace rather than struggling to keep up with the rest of the class.

While there are a lot of benefits to distance learning, critics might point out that there are also some negatives. Working from home takes away the social aspect of school that is so important to teenagers and makes it harder for students to be connected and involved in the community. Although online schooling does limit the social life of a student, it does not completely eliminate it, and some students who might struggle with depression or social anxiety would prefer to learn in a more isolated environment where they can feel relaxed. Distance learning is also just giving students an opportunity to work from home; this does not mean that the students have to use it. If a student is having a bad day, is sick, or is travelling, distance learning might be the most beneficial way to keep up with their education.

In conclusion, I think distance learning is a beneficial idea because it would help students who are struggling mentally and socially or who come from a poor or complicated family life and creates an environment that would fill the needs of any student.