Education

How Virtual Schooling Prepares Teens for University

Has your teen been fretting over university or college applications? It’s understandable — applying for postsecondary education is a universal stressor. Perhaps they’re not sure what school is best for them — or unsure what program or blend of courses they should take. Will they be able to balance schoolwork with social activities? Will they manage to navigate school deadlines?

If any of these questions sound familiar, one lesser-considered route in advance of submitting university applications is virtual schooling. This way, through self-modulated eLearning, high school students can safely navigate each of these unknowns from the safe and comfortable surroundings of home.

Here are three ways virtual schools can help prepare teens for university.

1. Virtual Schools Inspire Discipline

Students who attend virtual school, be it instead of, or in addition to, brick-and-mortar schooling, are required to set their own study routines, patterns, and disciplines — much like in college or university.

Teachers will assist learners by providing feedback on tests and evaluations, responding to queries via email and monitoring group discussions. Ultimately, however, student learning is their responsibility alone. This is a key fundamental of a successful higher education experience. Virtual schooling enables teens to finesse these soft skills — also known as executive functioning skills — in advance of expensive university experiences.

2. Virtual Schools Can Boost a Teen’s Grade

If your teen received a grade that they weren’t satisfied with — and perhaps it was a grade that a successful university application hinged on — virtual schooling can help. Teens can retake classes in which they receive unsatisfactory grades at any time. Online classes can be concurrent with other semesters or take place during the summer months — and grades can be boosted in as little as four weeks in some cases.

For example, maybe your child needed a solid grade in Grade 12 English in their fall semester but didn’t pass or score high enough to move forward with their applications. An online school that offers ENG4U would allow this teen to continue learning this curriculum in their own time without jeopardizing or conflicting with their other courses.

Yes, taking the online course during the next semester will mean their workload is heightened, but sometimes a bit of extra work is the perfect teacher — and is an excellent preview of the hustle and bustle of university life.

3. Virtual Schooling Shows Teens How to Work Online

In college and university, students will have to get comfortable with working online. After all, they will have to submit their papers through online forums. They will have to conduct their research through digital archives. They will have to contact their classmates, TAs and professors through email and online groups. In some cases, they may have to complete online courses instead of in-person ones.

Virtual high school can prepare students for this well ahead of time. It can get them acquainted with the process of reviewing course materials, submitting assignments and communicating with teachers entirely online. It can also teach valuable lessons, like how to send professional emails to teachers, that can be put into practice once they’re accepted to the college/university program of their choice.

In the end, applying for secondary education can be stressful for even the most confident students. Virtual schooling can help your teen prepare for their college university applications, and of course, for their academic years once they’ve been accepted.

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