This year, I took my final credits to graduate high school online and at my local community college. Let me tell you, that was one of the best decisions of my life. I have had so much more free time to pursue different activities and hobbies. I was able to sleep in, create my own schedule and take classes I was interested in and wanted to take.

1. You Get To Sleep In.

No more 5:30 a.m. or 6:30 a.m. alarms. For the most part, you can sleep as long as you want. I learned quickly that I didn’t like sleeping in until 10 or 11 in the morning. I felt like I wasted the entire day and didn't have enough time to do the things I wanted to do. Since I got to choose my sleep schedule, I ended up getting more sleep. I was happier, more energetic and I developed a deeper love for learning than I ever had before.

(Me, on my first day of school.)

2. You Create Your Own Schedule.

My mom left me with the choice to create my own schedule and complete my online classwork at the time I chose. For me, getting homework done was never a problem. My mom famously says that she never had to egg me on to get my homework done. With online classes, I was able to choose how many assignments I wanted to do a day, and how many hours I wanted to study and how I took notes.

3. School Is Online, Paperless And Free.

In my school district, all online classes are free to students. This makes it great because completing your high school credits can be done in an affordable and fun way. Online school is also paperless. I typed out all of my notes and referred to them when I had tests. (Which also means that nearly all tests are open-note. Awesome, right?) Also, most devices are compatible with online courses. So you can complete many assignments from your smartphone, if you so want to.

4. Online Classes Are Fun.

I personally loved the set-up of online classes. My classes involved a series of multiple choice, write in and fill-in-the-blank questions. With my Spanish IV course, there were also speaking assignments and dictations where you listened to a recording and wrote down what the speaker said. Many pages were interactive, and you always had the option to explore more web links to a website with more information about a topic. The creators of the course developed a program for young people to understand and enjoy.

5. You Know Exactly What Your Assignments Are.

There’s rarely confusion when you see your next online assignment. The program gives you bullet points of what exactly is expected, or you download a pdf worksheet and you fill it out. If for some reason an assignment is confusing, teachers are easy to access. A simple email is all you need to get your answer, and most teachers respond within 48 hours on weekdays. You also know exactly what tests and quizzes you have. There are zero pop quizzes.

6. Classroom Discussions Are Much Easier.

I don’t know about you, but when I walked into a classroom and all the tables were pushed together I could feel my heart drop. Class discussions were never my forte. Some people could debate with each other the entire 55-minute period, but I spoke my required two times and remained quiet for the rest of the time. With online classrooms, you post your response to discussion questions, and then comment on other students’ responses. It’s so much easier to be able to type out exactly what you want to say instead of being in awkward, forced classroom discussions. Having the barrier of the online program between myself and other students was a relief.

7. You Have So Much More Free Time.

I completed all of my credits two and a half months earlier than my end date, the third of June. Because of this, I was able to take a stress-free two week trip to California and Arizona. I didn’t have to worry about studying or getting my course work completed in time. I was already finished!

It felt great to be in the Redwoods or on the coast knowing that I wasn’t confined to a classroom for seven and a half hours a day. I was able to spend more free time doing things that I liked. I started reading more and I started playing the guitar.

8. Final Exams Are Not As Stressful.

I didn’t have a final exam week to deal with my senior year. Yes, I did have finals in both my community college and online classes. But they were not as intense as they made it in my high school. My online final exams consisted of entering a password and answering the questions. Some schools may try to make you go into the school to take a final exam, but the trick to that is getting your parent to act as a proctor.

9. You’re Ahead Of The Summer Job Search.

I started looking for a job and had four different employers wanting me to work for them because of my schedule. Not many people have eight or more hours a day free while still in high school, because they have to go to school at a required time. As long as you can keep up with your coursework, getting a job is a great idea. People will want to hire you, not only because your schedule is open, but because you can start work much earlier before other students.

Of course, not all online courses are like mine. Some are structured to be like a high school class. Some require you to get textbooks, and some require that your parents teach you the lessons. But my classes, and many of my friends' online classes, made life easier. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to take online classes for my senior year. It’s been the best choice for me so far. If you’re thinking of taking online classes for your senior year of high school, or for any year of high school, do it. You won’t regret it.