Media Stereotypes and Generalizations: Common Misconceptions About Online School
- GroovyHayley
- Feb 19, 2022
- 3 min read
Online school is widely misunderstood by those who have never completed online courses. There are many stereotypes associated with the topic, such as being considered a drop-out. People believe taking classes online means that you get a free pass to do whatever you want. Some believe it is immensely easier than traditional in-person classes, and that online classes can be completed at your own pace, whenever you feel like it. Others assume that it doesn't take as long to complete your courses as traditional courses, and there is absolutely zero interaction with your fellow classmates and professors. All of these assumptions and misconceptions about online school are false, and can be draining to hear from others.
During my second semester of freshman year in high-school, I decided to leave my public school and start completing my high-school degree through an online setting. The school I transferred to had a physical high-school in Florida, but also offered their classes from an online perspective, which I felt was very innovative and ahead of our time. Within a week of starting my classes online, I was receiving negative comments about my decision, to my face and behind my back. Some students and parents immediately started referring to me as a high-school drop-out, which didn't feel good because I have always cared deeply about good grades, being very invested in school, and showing my full academic potential. Hearing my friends tell me things that people have said about me throughout the school halls really hurt my feelings at the time, because I knew they clearly didn't understand what online school meant, and all of the tedious work associated with it.
The main reason I decided to leave my public high-school was because I felt too distracted in my classes. People were always distracting me, and it started to bring down my grades, which made me worried because I have always strived to get into an amazing college and have a successful career. I knew I needed better educators and less distractions, so I decided to do what was best for my future. Within a month of being an online school student, I witnessed my friends start to turn their backs on me, just because I wasn't seeing them every day in school. I received messages such as, "You're just not the same anymore", which really hurt because I knew that the only thing about me that has changed was the fact I was not in school with my friends anymore.
Being by myself more and seeing life outside of the public school setting really opened up my eyes to many things about myself and the people I once considered my best-friends and close peers. It seemed like my former classmates only thought about themselves, and never once considered my perspective and point of view on my decision to transfer online. Assumptions about me were thrown around, and all I could do was to ignore the false accusations about online school and keep living my life! The online courses I completed in order to obtain my high-school diploma were extremely detailed, time consuming, and difficult, but so worth it.
The biggest benefit about online school, from my experience, has been the fact I have had the ability to complete my lessons almost anywhere (with wifi). I have experienced life-changing trips and created everlasting memories with so many amazing people because of the flexibility and freedom that is associated with online school. I really enjoy having the privilege of traveling the world while completing classes. I also found the generalizations and stereotypes behind online school to be beneficial, because it helped me to further accept that there will always be people out there who don't know you, and yet still voice their opinions and misconstrued assumptions about you and your life.
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