They say that nothing worthwhile comes easy. The same can be said about earning a high-school diploma or a university degree. If you ask someone at BrightMinds Online High School if an online high school is easy, the quick answer is that school, like anything, is what you make of it.
Is Traditional High School Easy?
Before we explore the challenges of an online high school, it’s important to understand that traditional high school can be both easy and difficult. Traditional high school can be challenging for students who have a hard time fitting in with other students, who live far from their school, or who have to (or choose to) work a part-time job. Some students struggle with mathematics and excel in English, while others love the language of algebra and integers but cannot fully grasp Shakespeare’s prose. Every student has a different experience in high school, and some find it more difficult than others.
Different Challenges
Comparing traditional and virtual high school is problematic, as students study and attend their courses under very different circumstances. Rather than compare the two, it makes more sense to view these two forms of high school as presenting challenges in their own way. Traditional high school can be challenging for students who have a hard time learning in a large classroom setting or who have busy lives outside of school.
Virtual high school, on the other hand, can be a challenge for students who have difficulty concentrating in a self-paced school environment. Traditional high school might not be rewarding for students who learn better on their own, while virtual high school may not be fulfilling for students who find real joy in school activities.
Same School Work
To achieve high marks at BrightMinds Online High School, all students are required to attend online classes on a weekly basis, complete different types of assessment and evaluation activities, participate in class discussion, maintain communication with their e-learning instructor and write a closed book final exam. If you study at BrightMinds, all your courses meet the Ontario Ministry of Education’s requirements. For example, your grade 10 history course will have a similar curriculum to a traditional high school course; therefore, your learning and comprehension will be assessed just as if you were sitting in a traditional classroom.
Online learning can sometimes be more of a challenge simply because students are given more freedom to plan their coursework within the school year. The more freedom students are given, the harder self-discipline can be. Students are granted this freedom because many of them who choose this path have a more demanding schedule for reasons such as pursuing extracurricular activities, completing an internship or playing sports professionally.