The Transition
by Costa Chan
Classroom by pkujiahe from Getty Images
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Transitioning from a brick and mortar school to an online school is a very strange thing. The change from a real classroom to an online video call with your teacher and other students is a huge change. For those who are new to it, it all may seem overwhelming at first, but it gets easier and goes a lot smoother.
As a student who had gone to a brick mortar school all my life, I had no idea what to expect on my first day of class. I showed up and saw a bunch of names and a few faces since not everyone had their cameras on. I had mine off by default and was scared to turn it on as most new students may be. Thoughts that might cross your mind include maybe you look bad, maybe someone is looking at you and you would have no way of knowing it but none of that matters. Everyone is there to learn, same as you.
When it comes to the school work aspect, the work is very, very different. Just like a brick and mortar school, you will have textbooks, whether that’d be virtual textbooks or tangible ones that you had mailed to your home. If you need help, you are able to email, call, or message your teacher and discuss it with them, just like you would be able to walk into a teacher's class and ask them for help.
Deadlines are another thing that are a big thing that change. If you are in a brick and mortar school, you often have work due every time you come to class. The two offered classes consist of EVP or VRP. In EVP courses, your work is due midnight every Sunday. In VRP you have no hard deadlines except for the end of the course. This may seem awesome, but lots of students come to realize that they are not very good at time management and end up cramming at the last minute, but the setup is very helpful for students who are busy during the day or need to go on trips or anything like that.
Students who are leaving a brick and mortar school may be upset about losing opportunities such as the ability to partake in extracurricular activities as well as being able to walk on graduation day; and honestly, it is very understandable why someone would be upset about that. It is a very upsetting thing to know you can’t do the whole graduation thing; but at the end of the day, there is so much more to look forward to once that day is over and you made it to the adult world.
Due to the recent coronavirus outbreak, a lot of schools are shutting down and actually putting their students into online courses, so this may pertain to a lot more people now; and it is always good to know that you are not alone, which none of us are, and the transition may be strange at first but it gets easier, a lot easier so don’t stress a thing. Just get your education, and enjoy your life.
Seu Chan, or as he prefers to be called Costa Chan is a 17-year-old at NSA. It is his second year with NSA. he began with NSA because his family had moved overseas and currently lives in Germany. In his free time he enjoys pleasure reading, writing short stories, playing sports such as soccer and football and he loves spending time with friends.