Some students like to take distance-learning courses by computer. Other students prefer to study in traditional classroom settings with a teacher. Discuss both views and state your opinion about how students should organize their schedule.

Within a few years, online learning has been widely adopted by not only educational institutions, but also students, who have shown their preference for this kind of course rather than traditional classes. However, there are still other students advocating classes with teachers’ giving lectures directly. From my point of view, I am inclined to be on the side of the former view, and going to suggest several useful ways for students to organize their timetable. Initially, distance-learning courses have their merits of offering learners maneuverability in their study and ability to fulfill course-takers’ needs as they wish while attending conventional classes. The first reason is that a multitude of online lessons are available at any time to cater for self-learners. Accordingly, revisions have been able to be autonomously done by them and arranged at their own pace and best mode. The performance thereby can be improved in that lessons are learned when students feel willing to absorb it. The more interests they take into studying from the scratch, the more effectively they will work. Secondly, technological developments have made enormous contributions to education, so that applications in teaching and syllabus have grown more and more practical and synchronized with actual classes in fact. For example, they can conduct teamwork, presentations, discussions, etc. on various online platforms or moreover, keep records of learner’s progress. Therefore, to some extent, distance-courses might be the most sought-after studying methods, because of their resemblance with traditional classes, while empowering learners with time management and flexibility as well. When it comes to conventional classrooms, no one could neglect that they provide students with the noticeable benefit of social interactions, which occur among students themselves, their fellows and teachers. Class attendance has long been acknowledged for not only students’ academic acquisition, but also creates a small community, where relationships are formed and growing to help develop social skills, which are essential for students’ future. Additionally, a teacher always sets them as examples when taking charge of a class, so he or she exerts a certain influence on the development of students. Learning how to communicate, to behave from people around is undeniably an advantage of traditional classes. In conclusion, both sides have their own strength, but personally I approve that the distance-learning course is a clever choice for students, on account of the autonomy it gives to learners and practicalities. To suggest a sensible schedule for students, I believe setting goals is the first important step they have to do, and spending six to eight hours a day working on these will surely bring them a successful result.