Looking on the Bright Side: 6 Benefits of Online High School Classes
While much of life has returned to how it was before COVID-19 hit the world, some things have changed more permanently. Some of the most notable is the prevalence of remote work and online schooling options, including options for high school classes.
Students have been able to return to traditional schools, but there are more options than ever to take classes online. For some, these online high school classes are a huge relief and help them to learn better, while other students find them frustrating. Parents and educators may worry that these classes are less practical for students.
However, the truth is that online classes have a lot of benefits and can be seen as a positive addition to the field of education - here are six online school benefits to consider before choosing where you will attend school and how.
1. Enjoy a more flexible schedule
A significant benefit to online high school classes is the ability to enjoy a more flexible learning schedule than there would have been while attending high school in person.
Even if your high school requires you to be online at a specific time for lectures or lessons, you can work through the rest of the lesson modules and homework when doing so feels most natural.
If you work better in the evenings or have morning responsibilities, you can finish your schoolwork later, or vice versa. This more flexible schedule will help you get used to working through classes when it feels best for you rather than learning alongside all of your fellow students at set times of day - which is how college may look, too.
You might also enjoy more focused and frequent breaks while working through online classes, allowing you to have a more relaxing experience than you likely had while attending in person.
2. Choose your learning environment
Online learning also allows you to create your learning environment differently than at school. While at home, you can make the workspace where you feel most comfortable.
You could fill your learning space with inspirational quotes, photos that make you happy, comfortable pillows, etc. Or you would like to work in pajamas instead of getting dressed daily, which you can do in a remote school.
Of course, only some students have an ideal home environment to learn, so try to work with your parents or guardians to find a solution and ensure you have somewhere to go with a strong internet connection and space to focus before online classes in the fall.
3. Work at your own pace
You can also work online in high school at your own pace. You will have deadlines but likely have more wiggle room when all the work gets done.
You can also advocate for your particular learning style and see if your teachers have plans for students who are hands-on learners. If you are an auditory learner, ensure you can listen to and read the lessons. These online lessons will likely work well for you if you are a visual learner. Online learning will allow for more accommodations regarding diverse learning styles.
No matter how you learn, you will have more flexibility with online learning than at school, allowing you to work through your lessons at a pace that works for you.
4. Eliminate social distractions
Though you might enjoy the social aspect of school, learning online will eliminate the distractions from working alongside your friends.
There is always time to socialize outside or over video chat with friends outside your online classes or study between online lectures. That means you can focus solely on the course when you’re in class and hopefully get more work done in a shorter period, then focus on quality time with your friends separately.
Online high school is also an excellent opportunity for students who do not enjoy the social aspect of high school for whatever reason. Now, you do not have to sit in person all day with students if you feel uncomfortable in social settings and can choose which social interactions are worth cultivating.
5. Utilize social media skills to build an online community
The youngest generation has honed social media and internet skills to build positive, collaborative online communities, which can be used to create communities around online schooling.
Some schools will set this up, but you know best how interactions through online platforms can work well and how they can go wrong.
So, take the initiative to give your teachers feedback about how discussions could work for your classes or how you respond best in online social situations. Share the values you want to uphold in your online high school community and share those with your class. If your school doesn't offer this, you could also start your discussions with other students.
This kind of ownership over your online classroom experience will help you feel more involved in the process and more excited about the benefits of learning online.
6. Develop time management and independence skills
Taking high school courses online will help you build the time management and independence skills you will need in college and beyond, and this is especially true of online schooling.
You likely won’t have the same level of accountability from teachers and classmates when you’re working independently at home, which means you will need to set reminders for your deadlines and learn how to work in a focused, intentional manner while not in a classroom setting.
Assuming your college classes will require the same level of accountability, you will acquire the skills you need to succeed as a more independent learner. This will help prepare you for life after high school!
Online high schools offer a compelling alternative to traditional educational settings. With the flexibility to tailor your schedule, the convenience of learning from home, and many course options, online high schools are revolutionizing how we think about education.
As technology continues to advance, the advantages of online high school will only continue to grow, making it an increasingly attractive option for students and their families.