When students at a New Jersey high school recently stayed at home on a weekday, it was part of an experiment — not a snow day or a holiday. Their teachers continued to teach their classes at Park Ridge High School while students tuned in via video on their computers — from their bedrooms, living rooms or kitchen tables, according to a story reported by NPR.
Here’s what the high school principal had to say about that Virtual Day, which introduced students to the concept of online learning. “Our ultimate goal is to prepare kids for life after high school,” Troy Lederman said. “Most colleges say that kids should be taking at least one online course, and there’s a lot of careers where people can work from home.”
If you’re considering enrolling in a virtual high school — or already made the decision to do so, here are 3 important ways an online education can prepare you for life after high school.
1. You’ll learn to adapt. Whether you decide to move on to college, a job or a technical school after graduating from high school, you’ll find that schedules will be a lot less structured than those of a traditional high school. They also require you to navigate different challenges and demands. With the flexibility afforded by online schools, you’ll be challenged to adapt to different situations — lessons that will stay with you for a lifetime.
2. You’re expected to be disciplined. While you’ll have plenty of guidance, don’t expect a lot of hand-holding as you may have experienced in middle school. It’s time to take some initiative, whether you’re seeking help with classroom assignments or making sure that you have the discipline to complete your assignment and studies. Avoid the temptation to spend hours playing videogames or surfing the Internet. Of course, these are all valuable lessons that will serve you well in college and in the workplace.
3. Learn how to collaborate. Teamwork is essential in college and in the workplace. Pursuing collaboration is equally important in online school. Whether or not you’re assigned to a team to complete an online assignment, it’s a great idea to develop study groups with other students. Collaboration is highly valued in the workplace. The earlier you learn how to work with others, the better prepared you will be to excel professionally later.
An online high school education is filled with opportunities to not only learn — but to prepare you for the next steps of your life.
