Vance Hagarman
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I have always been able to teach myself and work through things which are great for online learning as you move at your own pace and are self motivated to do the work.
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– Vance Hagarman
I chose to take online courses to really make the most out of my opportunities in high school. I decided to attend college enrolling in a two-year automotive program around the end of last year, which allowed me to see what general education courses I would need to complete. In addition, I knew taking them now and being dual enrolled would save me a lot of money since I got the credits at a discounted rate. I took a couple of blended courses in 9th and 10th grade so I knew a little bit about how to complete the online work. This year having a hybrid learning schedule gave me more confidence to take dual enrolled classes through HACC.
My college in the high school courses are through HACC so I figured the online ones would be the same difficulty. I ended up taking two winter classes through HACC, and one more in the spring. Another class I am taking right now is through Mansfield University which is the final required general education course I need for the program. Taking these classes really allowed me to feel accomplished and that I was putting in a good amount of effort in school. I only needed two credits to graduate high school but chose to take eight more and be there all day long to get as much work done as I could. Though it could be a little overwhelming at times trying to figure out all the coursework and assignments, I feel as though I was able to benefit from the online work.
My academic performance stayed the same and I was able to still achieve the good grades I have gotten throughout high school, which chipped away at my college work at the same time. The classroom and online learning environments are very different, though they both offer their own benefits. I have always been able to teach myself and work through things which are great for online learning as you move at your own pace and are self motivated to do the work. However, The classroom still offers the face-to-face for asking questions and receiving clarification much easier compared to the classroom. I do like how flexible the online learning schedules are. If you have to prioritize another class or event, the online work just needs to be completed by a certain day so you can finish it whenever you find time.
Having done six online/blended courses helped me to become a much more well-rounded student. They taught me how to manage my time better and how to navigate courses on my own. Having completed them will allow me to be better prepared for my time in college and now allow me to focus on my automotive classes. Looking back on the extra work I have done I can be proud about what I have done to work towards my career goals.