Is it possible for students to do well taking classes online?

Posted on March 26 2013

The American Academy offers accredited online high school classes, including the opportunity for students to earn an online high school diploma.

There are several advantages and disadvantages to taking virtual high school programs; however, if a student is able to budget his/her time wisely and productively, online classes are an excellent alternative to in-class schedules. Some of the main advantages for students attending online classes, which helps them excel, includes:

  • Flexibility – If students have part-time jobs or are attending class only part-time with full-time employment, online classes offer the necessary flexibility for students to succeed in accomplishing their diploma goals.
  • Lack of Boredom – Instead of students feeling bored, many online classes offer accelerated leaning programs and classes, which helps hold some students’ attention better than traditional course schedules.
  • Interesting Studies – Students that enroll and take classes that are of interest to them are proven to be more proactive in class and achieve better results. Additionally, online education systems are able to offer a wider variety of classes than many traditional in-class schools.
  • Faculty Assistance – The myth that online students do not have access to faculty members is simply that, a myth. In fact, online classes offer greater access to instructors, including the ability to interact through chat questions, email or instant messaging techniques. With the advanced, fast-paced world of the Internet in schools, it is possible for students to receive answers almost immediately.
  • Learning Environments – Students who excel in online environments versus face-to-face, real-time instruction, often do exceptionally well with online classes.
  • Self Devotion – If students devote the proper amount of time to homework and course reading materials, as well as maintain a no procrastination policy, they will likely excel in online classes.
  • Connecting with Fellow Students – Most online study programs offer email addresses and contact information for fellow students. Staying in touch with other students and forming online discussion and study groups is extremely beneficial, helping people succeed in their online education endeavors.
  • Budget Schedules – Those students who succeed in taking online classes, typically budget their time and class studying time accordingly and stick to their strict schedules.
  • Communication – People who are interested in pursuing online educations need to be honest with themselves: what communication techniques work best for them? If people are visual learners, they want to consider taking visual oriented Internet classes. If someone is an auditory learner, perhaps listening to seminars and webinars may be a better form of comprehension learning.
  • Motivation – The best advice for all online students is to stay motivated, whether it’s through physical or virtual communication. Even simply motivating oneself to competitively compete with a friend or promise yourself a weekend getaway if you succeed in class, etc., offers the necessary motivation and perks to help one succeed in online learning classes.