Important Considerations

Personal Preferences

As you consider whether you want to try using technology to take a class you can’t get at your school, it’s important to think about what you know about how you can learn well. If you’re comfortable using a computer and frequently go online for information, communication, and/or entertainment, you’ll probably feel at home in an online class. If you’ve had limited exposure to computers or the Internet, though, a video-based class would be a better choice. Regardless of delivery mode or format, you’re likely to need to use a computer for simple email, doing online research, and preparing and turning in assignments. So if you’re computer-phobic, distance learning may not be a good option for you at all. (On the other hand, you’re going to have to learn some of these skills sooner or later to get along in college or work, so maybe high school is a good place to start.) Some other suggestions about preferences are embedded in the descriptions above, and it’s also a good idea to talk all this over with your counselor and parent/guardian.

Study Habits

Eventually, everyone learns that good study habits are important—some of us just take longer than others! For distance learning, good study habits are perhaps even more important, just because you aren’t in a room every day with someone whose sheer physical presence keeps you reminded of upcoming tests and assignments. The high-school teachers who teach distance learning classes, online or by video, are typically aware that their students are still developing their study habits and may be patient about issuing frequent reminders. College instructors, on the other hand, will post reminders but typically have higher expectations about students’ ability to organize themselves without mothering.

This ICN web site has some useful tools to help you diagnose your chances for success in distance learning. By all means, please check out the Essential Skills for Distance Learners as well as the variety of Learner Tools.

Cost

Unlike public schools that receive state and local funding to cover the full cost of educating students in grades K through 12, colleges and universities must charge tuition and various special fees to cover at least part of the cost. For the high-school classes, sometimes your local high school will pay the indicated cost—but not always, so checking with your guidance counselor is important for that reason, too. And if you enroll in a college class—or eventually get credit through Concurrent or Advanced Placement options—you should expect to pay some tuition at whatever point the credit is awarded. Sometimes, it will be the full amount, usually defined per credit hour (e.g., $150 per credit hour, or $450 for a traditional three-credit-hour class). As noted above, though, there are sometimes special breaks for high-school students—either a scholarship that waives all or part of the tuition or a special tuition rate lower than the standard fee. So don’t let the headlines about terrible college costs keep you from checking out the details for a particular class that catches your interest: if you can take it now for $50 per credit hour instead of later for $150, that’s $300 you’re saving (or your parents are saving) by getting a head start.