What we learned in school went well beyond the lessons found in a textbook or the slide presentations given by teachers. Any adult now can tell you that the skills they acquired and developed in school were just as valuable as the lessons they learned. Now, in today’s Pennsylvania educational environment and the increasing presence of online schools in PA, an online high school can do more in the way of life skill preparedness than a brick and mortar school could.

The following are 4 simple yet useful life skills that you can learn from enrolling in an online high school.

Time Management
In a traditional high school, you have teachers, fellow students, and class bells to keep you on track throughout the day. Your entire schedule is laid out for you, dictating where you need to go and when you need to get there. Online high schools; however, do not have a fixed schedule. This forces students who are enrolled in online high school programs to manage their time effectively. Additionally, it teaches them to be accountable for their work and balancing their studies with their personal obligations.

Self-Motivation
In tandem with time management, the absence of teachers and students being physically present and reminding you to stay on top of your studies reinforces the idea of self-motivation within those enrolled in online programs.  Strengthening the ability to motive yourself into getting something done-even if you don’t feel like it-can go a long way in college and in your potential career field. Self-motivation leads to a self-starting attitude and many future employers look at that as a desirable skill to have.

Critical Thinking
In a brick and mortar high school, the traditional method of learning is simply giving the children the information they need to complete assignments. With an online structured setting, students not only hone their research skills, but also learn how to disseminate all of the information they have researched. Students enrolled in online schools quickly learn how to make decisions and follow through without the need for excessive amounts of instructions.

Tech-Savviness
Technology and e-learning have a very real presence in today’s world. While many schools teach computers as an elective or life studies course, only spending 45 minutes a day, every other day, or once a week is nothing compared to the continual exposure that online students have. Gaining your education through an online-structured program helps prepare students for the high-tech world that we are currently in. As the landscape for technology is growing at a rapid place, online students experience these changes in real time, on a first hand basis, instead of waiting for their class’ scheduled day in the computer lab. Furthermore, with email being the main form of communication in an online school, students develop the ability to express themselves effectively. They hone their writing skills and develop the ability to express themselves in concise, more meaningful manners.

While online schools may not be for everybody, there are a number of added benefits that can come from choosing an online learning environment over a traditional high school. For online students, the best part of their education is knowing that they are well prepared for whatever obstacles and challenges this digital word may throw at them.