The Benefits of Taking an Online Class Second Semester

November 8, 2024

As the first semester winds down, many students and families take some time to reflect and ponder some questions that can serve as a barometer of each child’s first-semester experience.

The Benefits of Taking an Online Class Second Semester

As the first semester winds down, many students and families take some time to reflect and ponder some questions that can serve as a barometer of each child’s first-semester experience. Did you learn as much as you’d hoped? Does your school offer the courses you want to take? Do you feel like what you’re learning is preparing you for college and life in general?

If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” it’s time to consider making a change, and taking an online course during the second semester. Online classes can fill in the gaps and equip your student with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the next stage of life–skills and knowledge that may not be available in their current school.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of taking an online class in the second semester, especially if your student is in high school.

1. Learning independent study skills and college preparation

Oftentimes, high school graduates arrive at college thinking they’re prepared and ready to take on the world. Until they realize they’re not. Having that confidence is great, but if students aren’t adequately prepared to live on their own, they’re going to have a tough time with the transition. Fortunately, online schools like Holston Academy offer courses that not only prepare students to work independently at college, but also help with real-world skills like organization and time management.

By starting their second semester with an online class or two, students can begin practicing what it’s like to work asynchronously while learning how to budget their time to fit in their other studies, jobs, and/or extracurricular activities. Just like they’ll need to do in college.

2. Having access to advanced classes and courses of interest that are not available at their school

Most students’ interests extend far beyond the classes offered at a brick-and-mortar school. Online courses, like the ones we offer at Holston Academy, cover a far wider range of topics and interests than traditional schools’ offerings. These include:

Advanced PlacementⓇ (APⓇ) and/or language online courses

Yes, brick-and-mortar schools offer AP classes and language courses. But do they offer AP Macroeconomics and AP Comparative Government and Politics? Do they have classes that allow students to learn Arabic, Portuguese, Hebrew, Greek, or Hindi? Online schools like Holston Academy do! Why limit a student’s foreign language choices to Spanish, French, German, and Italian when there are so many others to learn? Online classes open up a literal world of possibilities when it comes to advanced placement-level courses and language learning.

Dual enrollment college courses

In partnership with Arizona State University, Holston Academy is proud to offer dual enrollment courses, which allow students to explore an early college experience and take foundational courses by enrolling in freshman-level classes. Learners have access to rigorous, engaging college curriculum designed by ASU faculty and are given the opportunity to get a jump start on their degree and career pathway.

Fun, creative, and unique electives

Similar to not limiting language learning to just a few options, students should have the opportunity to enroll in classes that speak to them, their personalities, and their interests. And while traditional schools certainly offer a variety of elective courses, the options are far more wide-reaching through online learning. These are just a few of the online elective courses offered through Holston Academy that you’re probably not going to find in your child’s school catalog:

These are literally the tip of the iceberg. Holston Academy offers nearly 100 elective courses–check out our elective course catalog to see for yourself!

One of the most compelling reasons to enroll in an online elective course is that it can serve as a supplement to your student’s regular schooling. Rather than take an elective through their school, however, they can opt for one of the engaging online elective courses listed above or in our catalog. Not only does this provide your student with a class that is sure to pique their interest and possibly even ignite a career spark, but it also frees up a portion of the student’s school day to complete other work since these online elective courses allow them to work at their own pace and complete their coursework at a time that works best for them.

Read about Bella and why she and her parents wanted an accredited school with a wide selection of courses that could assist in her pursuit of college and future goals. 

3. Exploring potential career interests

High school is the perfect time for students to begin exploring “what they want to do when they grow up.” The first few years of high school present an ideal opportunity for students to try out certain career-oriented classes to determine whether that possible career is of interest to them. If it’s not, at least they can say they learned a new skill or topic of study. At the same time, if high school students already know what type of occupation to pursue, taking some online classes gives them an invaluable head start.

Holston Academy offers dozens of career-focused courses for high schoolers, including:

Again, this is just a small sampling of the online courses available through Holston Academy. We even offer career exploration courses that introduce students to the history of and opportunities available within professions like healthcare, finance, and dentistry. You can view our entire course catalog here.

Learn how Daniel, a Holston Academy student interested in pursuing a career in engineering, supplemented his public school courses with online AP classes from Holston Academy!

4. Meeting students from across the country who share similar interests

One benefit of online courses that most definitely is not available to traditional brick-and-mortar students? The ability to take a class with fellow students from all parts of the nation! It’s a very cool experience for students to meet like-minded individuals who share the same passions and interests, and to learn more about those passions and interests with them in a virtual classroom. Those classmates could wind up being lifelong friends and even future connections when it comes time to start their career.

If your student is not getting everything that they want or need out of their current school, there are options! With the second semester on the horizon, now’s the time to consider online courses–either as a fulfilling supplement to your student’s current schooling or as a high-quality alternative for their entire course load.

As you’ve seen, Holston Academy offers an impressive array of courses for students in grades 6 through 12. Our catalog of more than 300 online classes includes all the subjects your student would learn in their existing school, plus a vast selection of AP, Honors, language, dual enrollment, and elective courses that culminate in a wonderfully well-rounded, accredited, top-notch education experience. To learn more about Holston Academy, please reach out to us at (833) 592-1228.

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