High School Online

There is more than on way to earn your way to college or a chosen career nowadays, and the methods are as varied as they come. Apart from the traditional way of getting your high school diploma (through enrollment and graduation from a brick-and-mortar high school), two methods stand out the most: earning your diploma with online education, and getting a GED credential. Although these two approaches are on different pages, they both offer the same benefits for anyone who has yet to finish high school, but is unfortunately restricted by finances or personal circumstances. So which of the two gives you the upper hand?

Online high schools are as close to the real thing as you can get, and there are some aspects with the system which offers for a more conducive environment to the student. For one thing, all or majority of the instruction is given online; this means that all you need is a computer and an access to the internet in order to log into classes. No early morning rush to catch up with, and no dress-ups. For working students, the flexibility of the schedules affords them with enough time to spare for themselves, in between classes and jobs. And for working parents, there is not a moment to spare, and with less time to spend on commute, couples have more opportunity to spend quality time with the children, and with each other.

A GED credential, on the other hand, is earned by taking an exam composed of a battery of five tests, and since the GED exam is usually taken only in one sitting, the effort to earn the credential is very different from achieving it from traditional or online schooling. You prepare for the exams prior to taking them, and that’s about it. If you fail the exam, you can retake it, either in the parts in which you have failed, or in its entirety. The GED exam is offered by all the states, and some states allow you to take the exam for as many times as you’re willing to do so.

With alternative education, you’ll inevitably run into problems of credit transfers or eligibility for college instruction. If you earn your diploma from an online high school and the credits match with the requirements of your chosen college, then your transition will be that much smoother. With a GED, you’ll have to earn the necessary credits before you are admitted to college, which means that you have to enroll in a course which offers such credits. With an online high school diploma, as long as you earn it from a regionally-accredited institution, it is considered as equivalent to a traditional diploma, and it should be honored in any college or university provided that you fulfill additional requirements. Although a GED credential is also equal in merit with a traditional diploma, you still have to fulfill the additional requirements, either by taking high school units or by enrolling in a course which serves as a ‘stepping stone’ towards college (such as a vocational or technical course). Either of the two is a viable alternative, but before you opt for any of them, consider their merits first so that you won’t run into problems when you do apply for a college or university.