Twenty years ago, nobody had heard of an online education. These days, online schools offering a high school diploma online can be the preferred way for some to earn a degree. However, earning a degree online may require changes that you have not thought about. Take some time to consider the benefits and negatives of pursuing a high school diploma online in .
Why Get One
- Take high school classes at a speed you're comfortable with. Online programs are often taught at different times. This is because the source material is made available to the student who can choose when they want to learn. They can choose to spend 80% of their earning their high school diploma online or just 10%. The choice is theres. A traditional school will have classes that are scheduled and it’s up to the student to work their schedule around the school’s schedule.
- Earn on your own schedule. Because online classes are made available and you take part of them when you wish, you can choose when you want to learn. Because of this, you can work a full time job all day and then take online classes at 3 in the morning. Although some colleges may offer night classes, the classes aren’t available 24/7 like a high school diploma online education is.
- Avoid the distractions of school. With most schools, you're likely to make new friends as you meet tons of new classmates. Although this sounds great, what may happen is your friends want to go out and the both of you lose focus on your studies. With a high school diploma online, you never lose focus on the source material.
- A lot of online programs offer up classes that may not be available at schools near you. For example, let’s say there is a really cool high school course you want to learn. It may not be offered at your high school. But because it takes less effort for an online program to add classes to their curriculum, you may find programs traditionally not available where you live are now available.
Why Stay Away
- It may not be as fun as real high school. As stated in #3 in our list of pros about getting a high school diploma online, it may lack the high school lifestyle. A lot of things people remember about high school are spring break, going to their prom, homecoming, etc. All of that is not available with a high school education done online.
- Some high school subjects may be tough to learn outside of the classroom environment. What I am trying to say is there are some subjects that can be hard to learn by reading a few articles on a website. Some courses are easier, though, by listening to a professor in a classroom environment. Although your personality may find this to not be a negative, others pursuing a high school diploma online may see this in a negative light.
- If you have questions, you may not find answers right away. A lot of times as a good student you want to raise your hand and ask questions. Certain things may come up in a lecture that leave you second-guessing things. In a normal class, you raise your hand and your teacher is there to answer your question. With a high school education online, you could send an email and wait a day or two for a response.
- Not every school will recognize or honor your high school diploma online. There are few private online education schools whose degrees are not accredited. What this means is that the high school diploma you earn can not be used to transfer to another school. Some will accept it, as long as the school is accredited. It may also hold less value on the job market. It is important to ask the school if the high school diploma online is accredited and by whom. The fact is, there are a lot of diploma mills out there, even this , offering . You need to make sure the option you choose offers an accredited degree program when pursuing your high school diploma online.
Elizabeth's Personal Thoughts
Earning a high school diploma online could be a smart decision depending on your needs. You may find the pros don’t outweigh the cons.
