CHEMISTRY

               When you hear the word "chemistry" what comes to mind?  Do you think of the relationship between people, a class you take in school, an online class, experiments,or simply a mystery? Well,whether any of you like it or not, I'm here to talk about Chemistry as a subject in school,in a classroom and online. Most of my friends would just see the word "chemistry" and they would stop reading this,lol. In my school,instead of going to a classroom everyday to take our Chemistry class ,we take it virtually through an online school called Florida Virtual School. You take it your Junior year,which in my opinion, I think is one of the best ideas ever. Because if you do not have the chance to finish online Chemistry during your Junior year,you can finish it over the summer or in your Senior year. Like any type of Science class ,it can be very challenging at times,especially if you do not particularly like science. Luckily , for me I actually enjoy science classes. I always have since I was little,but of course there were times that I did not completely understand it and I needed some help.
There are several differences and pros and cons between the classes that you take in a classroom and the classes you take online.

Pros of online Chemistry:

1. Instead of using a textbook to read for your Chemistry class,everything that you're supposed to read is online.
2. Since anyone who owns and knows how to operate a computer usually does everything on the computer, online classes should be what's right for your education.
3. You can use your notes and open tabs to the lessons to look for the answers to the questions on tests and quizzes.
4. You can be extremely creative on your assignments with things like powerpoints and reports, and the teachers usually encourage creativity.
5. Online classes are usually  very portable. You can take your laptop almost anywhere and work on assignments ,quizzes,and tests almost anywhere at any time.
6. You can submit homework several times and you can retake quizzes and tests several times until you receive the final grade that you desire.
7. You can work at your own pace,meaning that you do NOT have to turn in work every single day.
8. You can always check your grades in the online gradebook.
9. You can check how many assignments you have left until you finish the class.
10. There are tutoring sessions almost every week in case people have questions about a lesson or something.       

Cons of online Chemistry: 
 1.You do not have a teacher in front of you to explain anything you don't understand at that moment.
 2.Computers can crash,freeze,break,or anything like that and all of your information and work could be lost.
 3.You have to keep in contact with the teachers and talk to him or her in order to remain in the course. If you are the type of person that does not like to talk that much,that might be problem.
 4.Failure to do so will result in a withdrawal from your online class and maybe even a failing or incomplete grade.
 5.They say work at your own pace ,but unless something serious happens that there is no way that you can work on a computer,you are required to submit at least 1-3 assignments per week.
 6.You don't get to choose your own teacher ,so each teacher could grade completely different than the others. Some teachers can be nice and some ,not so nice. Some might be strict and others might be easier on their students.
 7.If you leave a test while you are taking it, you will be locked out of the test and you would have to call your teacher to reset your test to take it again. (You lose all of the work you did on the first test.)
 8.If you don't know how to operate a computer or do powerpoints, it will be very difficult to take any type of online class.

Pros of learning in a classroom:

1. The teacher is always there to explain and answer any questions.
2. You won't get locked out of a test like online tests.
3. The teacher most likely knows who you are (depending on the size of the class) and you know the teacher.
4. The students and faculty of the school can determine whether the teacher is nice or not and the way they grade.
5. Everything you do in a Chemistry classroom for experimenting is hands-on.
6. If you don't know much about computers ,there are reports , homework, and projects that you can accomplish by hand.
7. You are in a classroom,which means you are not alone in front of your computer.
8. You most likely have friends that can help you in case you need help in understanding something or working on a project.
9. The best and funniest memories are made in school in a classroom with your friends that you cherish for the rest of your life. Moments that cannot be made anywhere else.
10. If reading is one of your favorite pastimes,then your schoolbook should be easy and fun to read most of the time.
11. Teachers can create songs,games, rhymes,or motions to help you learn and remember things that you studied.

Cons of learning in a classroom:

1. You usually won't be able to retake tests ,quizzes,or re-submit homework in a classroom.
2. If you don't like hands-on experiments or something like dissecting frogs,you might have a hard time in a classroom.
3. If any type of deadly chemical were to explode in a classroom and come in contact with any of the students,the results could be fatal unless dealt with immediately.
4. If you like working at your own pace ,instead of the pace that the teachers set up for you,then you would like online classes better than the ones in a class.
5. You cannot take your class anywhere that you want to. It has to be there in class.
6. You cannot usually go to class any time that you want (like how you log into online Chemistry almost whenever you want) in school because then you might get a tardy slip or a detention from too many unexcused tardy slips or absences.
7. If you are not a socialble person, school might be hard for you.
8. You cannot use your notes on tests or quizzes because that is considered cheating in the classrooms in school.

               Online Chemistry vs. Classroom Chemistry

It really depends on how you learn better in whatever environment that you prefer. For me,I can't really choose one over the other because of the fact that I've only taken Chemistry online,but I know how it's like in a classroom. As you can see,they both have their pros and their cons and they are both good ways to learn something new or review over something that you already know. So,the next time that you think about taking another class,look at these pros and cons to find out which way is best for you.