Advantages and Disadvantages of an Online High School
Advantages
The main advantage of an online high school is being able to work at your own pace. You determine when, and even where, you study your assignments. You can also focus on the more difficult subjects while breezing through the easy ones. Depending on your self-discipline and abilities, it may be possible for you to graduate earlier than you'd be able to at a traditional high school. Like many people considering online degrees you may already have other obligations (i.e. job, children, etc.). Getting your high school diploma online allows you to shape the work around your schedule.
Another reason to acquire your degree online is the distraction factor. You don't have to worry about the cliques, the parties, apathetic peers, etc. When you decide to study, your complete focus is on the books, not the looks. In this way you could look at your pursuit of an online degree as an opportunity to develop your identity apart from the social and peer group pressures of traditional schools.
Last, you may be able to focus your degree in your online high school by learning subjects of particular interest to you. Some online schools boast that you, upon graduation, will have the skills of a college freshman. Do some research for your online degree and see if you can integrate specialization studies with the high school curriculum.
Disadvantages
Naturally, most online programs don't have all of the fun elements of high schools: prom, senior day, graduation, etc. If losing these aspects of traditional high school doesn't bother you, there is still another concern along the same lines-isolation. Some online students may develop anti-social feelings. Make sure your online high school has forums where other students and you can chat. If the school doesn't offer forums, see if they have any recommendations to avoid feeling cut-off from peers.
Another consideration is that many people find it a challenge to focus on completing work when no an actual teacher is present to encourage them on a daily basis. Let's face it, all of us need some encouragement every now and again. However, teachers serve as more than slave drivers, they are also the ones you should go to if you have problems with your assignments. Clearly, this poses a problem for online students. Some subjects, such as English and math, may be hard to comprehend without a teacher present.
Finally, be aware that online schools that are not accredited produce transcripts that probably won't be accepted by businesses and universities. In addition, unless you find an accredited charter school, you might need to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for tuition, curriculum and computer equipment.
