Cyber School: a type of school I never thought I’d join. PA Distance Learning is a welcoming community with a great amount of energy and happiness, even if you are just looking at the screen and typing, and not at the field trips.
Some of my friends have joined cyber school, so I have heard things about it but never got to experience it for myself until this past year. I had to join because I just moved to a new school district and wasn’t ready for the change, so I thought, why not cyber school?
Here are a few things that I didn’t really expect about cyber school:
1. Helpful Teachers
Teachers were always really busy in my old school with teaching, coaching teams, etc. They weren't always available in school and after school. Here at PA Distance, teachers are here for you whenever they find free time and when you email or GChat them (Google Hangouts) they respond to you almost immediately.
2. Not Time Consuming
All assignments at PA Distance Learning need to be turned in at 11:59 PM on the due date, unless instructed otherwise by a teacher. Most classes are in between early morning and early afternoon. So you’ll have all day to do your homework and other activities you enjoy.
In my old school, I never had time for me or to hang with friends. We'd be at school for 8 hours and sometimes we’d stay longer for study groups or school clubs like choir. Then we would have to go home and do about 3 hours of homework. We never had time for anything.
3. Friend Making
I was kind of worried about joining a cyber school, because how would I make friends if I wasn’t in the same location as them?
It’s actually really simple and easy. Just join groups or join discussions in Homeroom and see if you find someone with the same interests as you. Then exchange emails or social media and just talk. I met three girls that are in the school. Two were in my group with our school counselor, Ms. Griffith, and one was in my Forensic Science class.
4. Resources
I was kind of scared about how I would be able to understand any work at cyber school. I thought I would just be told to watch videos all day and only be assigned to one teacher who just assigns me work. I then remembered, it’s the internet, and there are so many resources around. Plus teachers provide you with and guide you to resources you can use for better understanding.
5. MORE SLEEP!!
Sleep is always an issue for people ages 14-18. We literally just can’t fall asleep. According to David K. Randall in his book, Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep, “Studies of teenagers around the globe have found that adolescent brains do not start releasing melatonin until around eleven o’clock at night and keep pumping out the hormone well past sunrise.”
I never really got much sleep in a brick and mortar school because I had to be up so early, and I thought it would be the same result with cyber school, but I was wrong. At PA Distance Learning, classes aren’t always so early, so I get more time for some shut eye throughout the week.
If you were worried about joining this awesome cyber school like I was, there’s no need. You don’t need to be in an actual building 8+ hours a day to get the education you need. You do need to be very responsible, though, and make sure to keep track of your school work.
"You don’t need to be in an actual building 8+ hours a day to get the education you need. You do need to be very responsible, though, and make sure to keep track of your school work...What I described is only the tip of the iceberg of benefits."
PA Distance Learning is the best place you can choose for a cyber school. What I described is only the tip of the iceberg of benefits. I have benefited from getting more sleep to having more time on my hands. I thoroughly enjoy my time here and hope whoever reads this will too.
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