Online Classes: Worthy of all the praise

BY DIMITRI MELETIS

For many years now, participating in online classes has been a popular course of action in students’ high school careers. While attending a traditional high school in the state of Florida, students are also given the ability to study and completing classes virtually through Florida Virtual School (FLVS). 

The main appeal of taking classes online through FLVS is that they are used for more than one specific purpose. Indeed, they can actually cater to students in several different situations and grant them many advantages. 

One benefit that online classes provide is the ability to receive credits early and advance at a preferred pace. In the district of Broward County, a standard high school diploma requires a student to earn 24 credits within their four years of high school. With the help of FLVS, students can receive many of these credits early. 

“During my sophomore year, I took World History physically in school while doing US History online at the same time,” junior Jadyn Gonzalez said. “It let me knock out two of my social studies credits, and now I can finish the rest of them this year.” 

For students such as Gonzalez who are looking to finish up credits and potentially graduate early, the ability to take online courses helps fulfill that exact need.

In addition to helping students complete credits in a shorter time frame, FLVS also allows for students to explore subjects that may not be available at the school they go to. 

Donovan Kwok, who graduated from Nova High School back in 2021, was a student who experienced this exact situation.

“I was always pretty interested in taking a cybersecurity class at school, but they never offered one at Nova when I went,” Kwok said. “With that being said, being able to take it online as an alternative option was really awesome. It feels good knowing that people can still explore their interests even if a class they want isn’t offered directly at the school they go to.”

It should also be noted that online classes allow for work to be completed at an individualized pace. This can give students the opportunity to take some extra time in understanding a concept, or allow them to move right ahead once they feel ready. 

“I took Algebra 2 online last year while I was taking Geometry in school, and I really appreciated the flexibility I had,” sophomore Zion Santil said. 

By the time he finished, Santil said he felt there was really no reason to feel pressured during the course. 

Since FLVS offers all the core classes that students must take in order to graduate, it is also worth bearing in mind that students can use it to make up credits for previously failed classes as well . 

When it’s all taken into consideration, it gets rather difficult to downplay the significance of taking online courses. Not only do they give students an opportunity to receive required credits early, but they also grant benefits such as being able to take classes that are not available directly at school, and letting students work at a flexible pace