Pros and Cons of Online High School

Are you considering online high school, but are unsure if it suits you and your educational needs? While you’re the only person that can really make that call, we’ve put together this helpful list of the pros and cons of an online high school diploma to help you discover if an online education might be a good fit for you.

Pros to online high school

When compared to traditional schools, online schools are definitely different. Start by learning these online schooling pros and begin making an informed decision on how your needs match with online high school.

1. Work at your own pace
2. Study anywhere
3. No age limit
4. Get more sleep
5. Gain valuable independence and time management skills
6. No transportation? No problem
7. Graduate early
8. Decreased safety concern

1. Work at your own pace

Many online schools don’t have set schedules or due dates, which allows students to complete work at the pace that works for them. This means you can actually work on your lessons at a time when your brain is functioning at its peak. Not only this, but students with jobs can really make the most of their work/life balance by working on their lessons when they’re not on the clock. Even students that have unexpected time off due to medical issues can still progress in their school work when they’re ready and able with online lessons to avoid being held back.

Jospeh Brooks, JMHS graduate, shares, “You don't need to complete an entire class in a week with this program. I realized I can take all the time I need and still be just as successful as anyone else."

Read more: 5 Effective Study Skills for High School Online Learning Success

2. Study anywhere

Online school can be done anywhere with an internet connection whenever you want. Whether you’re someone that doesn’t do well in noisy classrooms, or just prefer a change of scenery in your learning environment, online high school can be a huge help to you.

With mobile-friendly lessons, moving to a new study environment away from distractions can help you retain your newfound knowledge. Learners that frequently need to travel may also seriously benefit from being able to learn from various locations since their lessons can actually travel with them.

Isabella Lynch, JMHS graduate, took advantage of the mobility online school offers. "I definitely incorporated school into my trips... I had no problem doing schoolwork while driving, just taking notes in the passenger seat."

Read more: How to Get Your High School Diploma Online: The Ultimate Guide for Teens

3. No age limit

While most traditional schools limit learners to 21 years of age, sometimes life gets in the way and makes graduating on time impossible. Online high school allows adult learners to either begin, or continue, their high school education and earn a high school diploma as an adult.

If you’re an adult who hasn’t finished high school, you may even be wondering: is a high school diploma important? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers that have earned a high school diploma make on average nearly $10,000 more per year than those without. With an online option, it’s never too late to earn this credential and open the door to success.

4. Get more sleep

Because it’s self-paced, you don’t have to worry about waking up before your body. When you don’t have to get ready and travel to school for specific times, it allows you to put your education in your control. Experts from the Sleep Foundation discovered this interesting fact:

• If allowed to sleep on their own schedule, many teens would get eight hours or more per night, sleeping from 11 p.m. or midnight until 8 or 9 a.m., but school start times in most school districts force teens to wake up much earlier in the morning. Because of the biological delay in their sleep-wake cycle, many teens simply aren’t able to fall asleep early enough to get eight or more hours of sleep and still arrive at school on time.

When you don’t have to get ready and travel to school for specific times, it allows you to be better rested and helps you manage your day. The self-paced nature also allows for naps if you suffer from insomnia or had a particularly tiring week.

5. Gain valuable independence and time management skills

Working at your own pace really pushes you to develop your independence. With no due dates, online high school students don’t have anything but themselves pushing them to get their work done. This encourages those students to learn how much they need to get done in their day in order to meet their goals.

When studying, teens often need to incorporate a 25% buffer time into their schedule. Online school allows them to manage their time efficiently with this buffer in place, it just requires some self-discipline. Joseph explains that "no one's there to tell you that you need to do this, but it still needs to be done, so the only person you can rely on in that scenario is yourself."

Alex Thome, vice president of an accredited online school, shares, “The most magical thing that happens for our high school graduates, beyond the things they learn in class or achieve after, is the confidence they achieve. They start out doubting themselves, but then they realize at some point they can do it. This confidence transforms the way they see themselves and the way people around them and their families and kids see them. It’s powerful.”

Read more: 6 Reasons to Get Your High School Diploma (and 3 Reasons Not To)

6. No transportation? No problem

You don’t need a car or even public transportation to do school online. Many people downsized to one or even no car during the pandemic. For learners in this situation, or for those who live in an area where public transport is scarce, an online education can be perfect since they can complete their schoolwork from the comfort of their own home. All they need is an internet connection and a device to connect to it.

7. Graduate early

Another benefit of working on your own schedule? If you’re determined and set your mind to it, it’s definitely possible to graduate quicker than a traditional 4-year high school. If you’re wondering how to get high school credits fast, it’s a lot simpler than you think.

Once you work your way through all of your courses, you’ll become eligible to graduate and get your diploma. Whether you’re an adult learner looking to earn your diploma ASAP or a traditional age student wanting to meet this milestone quicker than your peers, online high school makes this a possibility.

Read more: James Madison High School’s 2024 Graduate of the Year Finalists

8. Decreased safety concerns

Traditional brick-and-mortar schools unfortunately have become less safe in recent years. With an increase in violence and bullying, many students and parents have growing concerns about simply attending school.

Online high school eliminates a lot of the risk that comes with in-person school. Students can work in an environment they feel safe in, like their own home. Parents can also feel comforted knowing their children are safe and away from any scary situations that can happen inside a brick-and-mortar school.

Read more: Ways Parents Can Help Teens Succeed In Online School

Cons to Online High School

While those pros sound appealing, online high school definitely isn’t for everyone. Check out this next list about the cons of online school in order to continue informing your decision about your education.

1. Earning your diploma may take longer
2. Distractions and procrastination can increase
3. Your instructors aren’t just a hand raise away
4. Your social life may require more effort

1. Earning your diploma may take longer

Just like it’s possible to graduate early through online school, it’s also possible to graduate late. How can both be true? Because your high school diploma is self-paced, it’s truly up to you and your hard work when you complete your classes.

While it’s possible to brush up on your study skills, if you’re someone who isn’t very self-motivated, and needs the push of strict deadlines, online school may be a difficult obstacle for you.

Read more: How Long Does it Take to Get a Diploma Online?

2. Distractions and procrastination can increase

When you’re in online high school, studying from home may be more of a distraction than you think, which can cause more than average time spent procrastinating. Just think of all the social media apps, streaming services, video games, and even non-school books within your reach.

It takes real will power to pull yourself away from those temptations and focus on writing an essay. Although it’s helpful to destress with one of these distractions from time to time, pulling yourself away from them is necessary in order to succeed in online high school.

• JMHS success tip: Limit distractions in your study space. Try working on your lessons in a library, an area of your house away from electronics, or declutter and organize an area in your room to best avoid distractions.

3. Your instructors aren’t just a hand raise away

Because online schooling is mostly self-guided, getting your instructors’ attention isn’t as instant as raising your hand. This can definitely be frustrating if you’re looking for immediate answers, but you’re not totally on your own.

Although online high schools are different in their instructor set up, at JMHS you’ll still be able to get support from the instructional staff. Instructors are available by email to assist students who have questions or need help with assignments.

Read more: What You Need to Know About JMHS Accreditation

4. Your social life may require more effort

When doing high school online, you’re not getting the social interaction you may be accustomed to from traditional school. It can be a hard transition for some students to not see their peers in person as frequently as they once had. If you’re someone that thrives on face-to-face interaction in your learning environment, this may be a huge con of online school. However, there are still ways to meet and chat with other JMHS students.

Social media is a great tool to connect with other online students. James Madison has pages on all the popular sites where you can go and meet fellow learners. You can also keep up with face-to-face social interactions by joining clubs or working an in-person job. Your social life doesn’t have to suffer just because you’re not going into a physical school building every day.

Read more: How to Make Friends in Online High School

Is online school a good idea?

That depends! If you’re an independent, self-motivated person that values their sleep, being able to take their lessons when and where they want, requires flexibility due to life circumstances, or would like to fast track their education, we think so.

However, if you need a little extra push, are more easily distracted, and need a little more social interaction from teachers and classmates, maybe it isn’t the perfect fit. If you’re somewhere in between the two, it may be a good idea to see what benefits you most and what sacrifices you’re willing to make for each one.

Andy Shean, Ph.D. and Chief Learning Officer at Penn Foster Group says that “high school really is about students attaining very specific skills that are going to benefit them long term.” It doesn’t matter the route they obtain these skills. If a learner isn’t benefitting from traditional in-person high school, online is a perfectly viable option.

If you think you have what it takes to take charge of your education, JMHS is an accredited, online high school ready to help you own your success. Reach out to an Admissions Specialist today at 1-800-535-1613 to learn more.