You never completed your diploma, and now five, ten, 20, or even 30 years have passed since you last stepped foot in a classroom. It’s a more common story than you might think.
Everyone’s prime learning years are a little different. Some people are comfortable cruising through a high school education when they are seventeen years old, while others hit their academic stride later in life. Some students see their education cut short due to unforeseen circumstances or hard choices at home.
Whatever the reason, let’s say you have decided after an absence to return to school. Chances are, you have a laundry list of questions. In this post, let’s answer four of the most frequently asked questions regarding going back to high school as an adult.
Table of Contents
Is Completing Your Diploma as an Adult Worth It?
This is a question you may have asked aloud to friends and family, or privately to yourself. The answer, in short, is yes.
Getting your high school diploma, regardless of whether it’s at 18 years old or 50 years old, opens up new career possibilities and further academic possibilities. With a diploma, you can apply for a broader range of jobs. You can also attend post-secondary school to specialize in a subject or pursue a career path that requires college or university education.
Beyond professional advantages, completing your high school diploma can give you a boost of confidence – a personal sense of achievement that carries over into your daily life.
Do You Need to Attend a Physical Classroom?
It’s common to feel nervous about reattending school. Will you have to share a classroom with teenagers, learning at their pace? The answer here is no.
Nowadays, you can earn your high school diploma online in Ontario and elsewhere from the comfort of your home computer. Learning online allows you to self-pace your studies, taking the time you need to understand new concepts and work through the material. Generally, you have 12 months to complete a course.
Can You Attend School While Working Full-Time? If So, How?
Another benefit of online learning is that it’s flexible: no 8 am to 3 pm school days. Instead, as mentioned, you get 12 months to complete a course and may choose to study whenever you wish. If you work or take care of a family during the day, you can study in the evening or on weekends. If one week is hectic, you may shift your studying and assignments to the next week. As long as you can complete the course within the allotted 12 months, you’re good to go!
Is It Ever Too Late?
Lastly, some late-in-life learners may ask: Is it too late? The answer here is simple and definitive: It’s never too late. People Magazine recently ran a story on Maureen Delaney, a New Yorker who received her high school diploma at the age of 93 – 75 years after she left school! If Maureen can do it, so can you!
Hopefully, this article has answered a few of your pressing questions about returning to high school after an absence. The bottom line is that the process is easy, flexible and available to all ages. Happy studying!
