What to Expect from an Online High School

Online high school provides flexibility to participating students. By learning on your own time, you can travel or participate in outside interests without delaying your degree. You can also benefit from one-on-one attention from teachers and faculty, giving you a personalized learning experience you won’t get in the classroom.

But flexibility does not free you from meeting minimum requirements to get a diploma. Before you enroll in an online high school, it’s important to know what those minimum requirements are so that you can prepare yourself. Here are some of the top things you can expect as an online high school student.

The Time Commitment

As with a traditional classroom, an online high school requires you to commit to your studies. Expect to put at least 25-30 hours a week into your schoolwork, with much of that done on your own time. Although you may have set class times, the most successful students set a daily schedule for working on their assignments and stick to it.

Here at BlueSky, you do have options. You can choose to do your work individually. If you prefer more interaction, though, you may want to sign up for Group Pace courses, which allow you to work alongside other students. This can help you stick to a daily schedule.

Meeting Graduation Requirements

In addition to setting time aside, you’ll also need to carry a minimum per-semester course load to ensure you graduate on time. Online high school requires a minimum of 12 classes each year, which will count as six credits under Minnesota’s educational requirements. If you make the switch to online high school mid-semester, your credits will be adjusted.

Meeting graduation requirements is only part of the picture. You’ll also have to perform well in Minnesota’s standardized testing to continue on your path toward graduation. When it’s time to take a required test, BlueSky will offer multiple locations to make the process as convenient as possible.

School Policy Requirements

Attending school virtually does not exempt you from a code of conduct. Behaviors like plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated, and you’ll need to follow rules of etiquette when interacting with faculty and students. While you are required to keep up with your assignments, you can take time off as needed for illness, medical appointments, and family emergencies.

Online high school will also take a strict stance against bullying in any form. This includes cyberbullying. You’ll be expected to follow basic rules of netiquette in your virtual classrooms, including always being respectful to other students sharing their thoughts and ideas. As a general guide, if it wouldn’t be tolerated in a traditional classroom, it won’t be allowed in a virtual environment.

Before enrolling in online high school, it can help to review the school’s basic requirements. If you’ve attended traditional high school, you likely are already familiar with the expectations placed on Minnesota’s students. But you can get a feel for the differences by learning the specifics of your own virtual high school’s requirements.

For more information on online high school in Minnesota, visit BlueSky Online and take a look at the school’s course offerings.