Online High School Student
*All conversations published have gained the consent of speakers.
Jack is one of the few good friends I met at Stanford Online High School (OHS) who rushed to meet people in different cities offline. This energetic, cheerful boy represents the recent, rapidly developing online school education model. We chatted and took a beautiful walk on the banks of Jinji Lake, Suzhou.
“Jack, why did you choose such a unique model of schooling to receive your education?”
He grinned at me, “I studied abroad with my family since I was a child, and when I returned to Suzhou, there were not many choices of international schools here. By chance, I saw an international school that taught students online. It was said that the academics here were outstanding, so I applied to it as one of my choices. After being admitted, I found that this choice was one of the rightest things I’ve ever done. I’m very grateful that I can fully take courses in the American education system without being limited by distance and space. These courses are taught by excellent teachers in virtual classrooms, and my peers are profoundly gifted children from all over the world who have opened my eyes to so many disciplines. In addition to being a great school, it solved the difficulty of liking this metropolitan education model because I couldn’t study abroad due to family reasons.”
“Stanford Online High School recruits students from all over the world, but the classes are still scheduled according to the American Pacific time, so the children in China attend class at midnight. How did you stick to this schedule for 6 years?”
“It’s because I love the school’s courses! Many courses at OHS are great. The teachers are so excited to teach, and there are a bunch of interesting classmates, so I never feel sleepy—you’re one of them. After a few years, I hardly feel jet lag. Maybe my biological clock has adjusted accordingly.”
“Many people now think that working with electronic devices for a long time will affect social skills, which is not good for the physical and mental aspects. Online school means you’re almost always on the internet, much longer than what these people consider appropriate. What do you think about that?” I asked.
The boy flashed his signature, sunny grin again. “Generally speaking, facing electronic screens for a long time is definitely not the healthiest, whether it comes to affecting the eyes or the body, but I think the key to using electronic devices is self-discipline and self-control. Management! For example, I actively exercise every day for a set period of time, rain or shine. I also rest my eyes and exercise between classes. Compared with many people who are utterly addicted to the game world and can’t leave their mobile phones for even a minute, I think the key to successful health is still the individual themself.
When it comes to affecting social skills, I don’t think the use of electronic devices affects social interaction. In fact, many people may have strengthened their connections because of electronic devices. It’s not because the internet affects social skills but because many people are unwilling to socialize in real life because of their satisfaction with the internet. Therefore, this situation has nothing to do with the form of online school. Real communication needs more common topics and interests. Of course, socializing in real life will definitely help in-person communication skills.”
“OHS evaluates its students according to the American education system. It has a lot of academically strong and distinctive students, but the overall scoring is much stricter than that of a regular American school. Most people are proud to have an A- average. Do you worry about your GPA and further education?”
“It’s impossible to say that I’m not worried. Many children who choose to go to online schools indeed have more individual thoughts, or they have made achievements in a certain aspect and need time to be flexible in matching arrangements, so they are more competitive than students at regular schools. The school is very rigorous—or strict, one might say—but one advantage is that the score evaluation is transparent, and everyone knows their situation is fair. Perhaps seeing that there are many outstanding classmates, more and more people gradually accept the idea that the one that suits them is the best, be it their distinctive course schedules or the school they end up getting into. The real wealth of one’s life is the ability and academic skills they learned here.” He was rejected or waitlisted from the entire Ivy League and his dream school, Stanford, but is now attending his first year in Oxford.
“After several years of studying in an online school, do you have any regrets or hopes? If an online university existed, would you continue to prioritize it over an in-person one?”
Jack was deep in thought. “In the past few years, I have been studying in our No. 1 online high school; OHS has tried its best to organize various virtual clubs. Generally speaking, the intellectual and social interactions are very good, even surpassing many physical schools. After all, our diversity creates an obvious cultural advantage, but I’ve always hoped to join a sports team that can practice together every day, sweating and bonding together. I believe this is a very important part of high school life that we are missing out on.
Therefore, I want to be a part of a real campus life in college and live collectively with my friends. I can have dinner, chat, and party with them, and I can find a girlfriend in college to enjoy my love life. I am still full of expectations for college.”
The online school described by Jack is a high school that completely meets—or even better meets—the academic needs of students, but there are still deficiencies in some aspects. It is definitely meaningful as an exploration of a new form of schooling. It can be a great supplementary choice for children who are affected by external factors and cannot change their current situation. Existence means reasonability, and I hope that more and more online schools can help more young people in need realize their dreams.
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