Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Potomac, like many other schools across the country, is currently operating under a system of online school dubbed “distance learning.” 

With the implementation of this new type of learning, many students, teachers, and parents have found new and creative ways to complain. 

From “it isn’t challenging enough” to “we are spending too much time in front of a screen” everyone seems to have some issues with “Zoom University.” Even though these complaints may be quite valid, many in the Potomac community are failing to see the positives of  distance learning.

Although you may be hard-pressed to find many students (besides those, of course, who plan on attending University of Phoenix) who prefer online school to in-person classes, there are actually many newfound positives of distance learning at Potomac.

 In fact, one positive of the new system is that the earliest classes now start at 8:45 a.m. compared to the usual 8:10 a.m. start time. While this may not seem like a huge shift at first, this 35 minute figure does not even take into account travel time. Because some Potomac students live close to, if not more than, an hour away from school, this schedule change gives them the much-needed time to get a proper amount of sleep. 

Additionally, another pro of Potomac’s distance learning schedule is the amount of breaks and free time built into the day. Even if one had all synchronous classes on a particular day, they would still have at least 15 minutes between each block and an hour long lunch period. So, it can’t be all that bad. 

And, with an early 1:30 p.m. dismissal from classes, Potomac students have more free time during the day then ever.