Online classes help students in many different ways on their path to adulthood. In fact, in the “real world,” almost everything can be done virtually including socializing, learning, and working. When it comes to preparing students for their life after high school, online classes provide valuable experiences that in-person students miss. Not only do online students learn how to work in a virtual setting, but they have plenty of opportunities to learn essential skills that will help prepare them for future careers.
Online Students Develop Professional Communication Skills
When it comes to online classes, students’ primary communication with instructors and other support personnel is going to be written. This means that students learn how to address their teachers, academic coaches, and tutors in a more professional way more quickly than students in a traditional school setting tend to learn. In a workplace, most important communication is going to be done via email and other written communication, so this skill is essential to master before moving into a career.
Additionally, one-on-one meetings with academic coaches and tutors need to be scheduled ahead of time, and the professional the student is meeting with needs to be provided with enough information to prepare for the meeting. This need to provide adequate, accurate information to another person before a meeting is a skill most professionals have learned over the course of their careers. Online students already find the value of such attention to detail in high school.
Online Students Learn Organization Strategies That Work For Them
Because online students don’t have a teacher walking around the classroom giving them time in class to clean out their binders or lockers, they have to figure out what works best for them independently. But it doesn’t stop at keeping a tidy desk, which definitely will help them as they start a career. They learn quickly what type of notes organization works for them, too. Since they’re deciding what kind of notes they are going to take, they’ll learn much more than their peers about how they learn, what kind of organization works for them, and how they study best.
In addition to the physical organization of their notes and study tools, online students also have to organize their time effectively. They might truly enjoy one class but be tempted to put off another that they don’t really prefer. Instead of acting like that class doesn’t exist, online students have to learn how to organize their time with breaks and an alternative schedule to make sure they’re making progress in all of their classes rather than waiting for an adult to remind them to get busy on that class they’d like to ignore. This type of organizational skill is unusual in high school students, so they’ll find themselves ahead of the crowd as they face graduation.
Online Students Learn The Value Of Self-Discipline
Making sure they’re making progress in all of their classes, not just the one or two that they enjoy most, isn’t only about organization. It also engages students’ self-discipline. And online students definitely have the opportunity to practice that!
Without self-discipline, an online student would most likely spend their day scrolling on their phone or playing their favorite game. That’s why most graduates of online programs have an edge when it comes to self-discipline. They have to set their schedule, follow it, reach out for help when they need it, and start and stop each of their courses. Balancing life as an online student can be tricky, so students have to be able to tell themselves “no,” motivate themselves when they need a little push, and celebrate when they experience successes.
Online Students Understand How to Use Technology
Another aspect of online classes that could be overlooked is how much independent troubleshooting students have to do to make sure everything is running smoothly with their laptop or PC. When your entire academic life is embedded in your laptop, you learn pretty quickly how to “turn it on and turn it off again,” among many more tips and tricks for making sure it’s performing and reliable.
Not only do students rely heavily on making sure their computer is working at its best, but they have to be familiar with the tech to schedule and get the most out of online tutoring sessions, word processing, and multi-media presentations. Learning how to work independently with these typical office-style tools is a gift of online academics that students will carry with them to college or into a career.
Online Students Learn Independence
At their heart, every one of these skills hearkens back to one of the most essential skills that any employee can have: independence. Whether it’s independent troubleshooting with tech, setting up important meetings, reaching out for help, or keeping on top of their own schedule, online schooling provides ample opportunities for students to learn what it takes to be successful in school and far beyond.
About Northgate Academy
If you’re not already a student at Northgate Academy but you’re interested in using our faith-based online high school program as an accredited choice for your Christian student, your Christian school, or as a resource for homeschool coursework, you can check out our programs online. We welcome and support our part-time students too. Every full-time student at NGA is assigned an Academic Success Coach and can communicate with subject matter experts via email or reach out to our staff through online chat and text.
Still have questions? Feel free to send us a text at 763-412-4701 or call us at 800-339-7132. Our academic support team will be happy to answer your questions or help guide you to the best program for you or your child.
