The Pros and Cons of Going to High School Online

During the past years, awareness about alternative ways to finish high school education to get a diploma has increased. Many parents have started to realize that there are ways to earn a high school diploma other than traditional schooling. Initially, some parents subscribed to the idea of homeschooling where the parents just buy books for their kids or get modules from schools accredited for homeschooling program. They let their kids stay at home to study under their guidance. Now, many are turning to online high school programs to graduate. What is an online high school program? What are the pros and cons of going to high school online?

An online high school program is a distance-learning program where everything, as the name implies, is done online or through the internet. There are both public and private online high schools that offer this type of education. Online schooling has its benefits as well as disadvantages.

Pros of Getting High School Diploma Online

Convenience.

Learning online is very convenient. You do not need to wake up early everyday and brave the early morning traffic just to be in school on time. If you live in places far from school, you do not need to endure long hours of travel.

Pacing.

Many online high school programs allow students to work at their own pace. If a student learns fast and he is ready for college, he can work at an accelerated pace so he can move to the next level earlier than if he were enrolled in a traditional school.

Flexibility in Schedule.

Students can log in based on their own schedule except for a few instances where they are required to be present at an appointed time. This means that students who have other commitments can be accommodated. Examples of these students are athletes, celebrities and those who live busy lives.

Safety and security.

In the past, there have been incidents of indiscriminate shootings in schools. Since students do not have to go to school physically, exposure to these security threats are diminished. But safety and security issues are not only confined to these life-threatening cases. It also pertains to cases of bullying. Being a victim of bullying can affect a student physically, socially and emotionally so online schooling can help prevent him from being exposed to potential bullies.

Cons of Getting High School Diploma Online

Social Interaction.

Since a student mostly stays at home, he does not get exposed to others who can help him develop socially. Learning how to deal with certain issues should best happen in this period in a person's life so if he does not get the exposure he needs, he may not be able to develop the values he needs to become a better person in the future. Furthermore, this is the time when memorable experiences happen like being part of a club, joining the promenade and meeting people of the opposite sex. Online high school education prevents you from experiencing them.

Interest.

Some students may easily lose interest in learning especially if they started with or are used to traditional schooling. The absence of motivating factors may make some students feel bored or worse, even indifferent to the whole idea of online learning.

Teacher Support.

A student may be given lessons that will be difficult to understand just by reading alone. Some students may have a hard time learning these concepts that need in-depth explanation. Though teachers can help online, it is still different when you actually have personal guidance.

Hopefully, this list of the pros and cons of going to high school online will help you have a better understanding of the program and later on help you in deciding if you will take it or not.