Remote learning has been a tough time for students, parents and teachers. Most of us have either seen it or experienced it firsthand.

But there are some positives to take out of it.

As a high school student, remote learning has given me a chance to encounter a different style of learning that I might have never experienced.

And it didn’t go as badly as I expected.

The first real benefit that came about was how much more sleep I was getting. Instead of having to get ready for school, I could wear my pyjamas to class… and had an extra half an hour of sleep every day. And as we all know from experience; sleep is important in maximising motivation levels and keeping you going through the day.

This minimal change has benefited many students, especially those who don’t get enough sleep. The Growing up in Australia Longitudinal Study of Australia Children in 2018 by the Australian Institute of Family Studies have found that a quarter of 12-15 year-olds and half of 16-17 year-olds get less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep on school nights for those age groups. This is a worrying statistic, and remote learning gives us the opportunity to get the extra minutes we need.

Although there was a greater opportunity to miss classes and not do work, remote learning provides us with the flexibility that we need. Students need to manage their time effectively to complete their tasks. We were expected to do the work that was assigned to us online and while there were times when I didn’t feel like doing it, the flexibility of remote learning often gave me an opportunity to revisit it later on.

This added flexibility can encourage students to develop their skills in managing their work and their life at the same time.

With no one constantly checking on us in the classroom, we need to take ownership of our own learning. A parent of a high school student said that she felt that her son was learning to be more independent when it came to his school work. This statement emphasizes the importance of remote learning in self-development.

Through this independent structure, the onus is on us to make sure that we got our work in on time and stay up to date with everything.

A benefit for both teachers and students were the lack of excuses for unfinished work. Throughout the years of school, I have forgotten to bring in work and tasks to school all the time. With learning being in one place physically, there was no excuse for not handing in work. Though technical difficulties could happen, this is a major bonus for everyone. All of it is accessible within reach, whether online or right next to you.

The remote learning period is going to change some aspects of on-site learning. Students will use more technology when going back to learning at school than before, as most of the work is done online. This coincides with the fact that the world is experiencing technological advancements that will probably shape schools in the future.

Remote learning has opened up many opportunities in the future. And while it doesn’t offer the same features as onsite learning, it has been a great short-term alternative.