5 Reasons to Take Online Summer Courses
By: VHS Learning
Registration for the VHS Learning Summer 2022 semester is officially open, and there are over 30 courses available to earn school credit and explore new subjects. These core courses, credit recovery options, and electives are available in 4- or 8-week sessions.
Here are our top five reasons to take online summer courses:
- Learn a New Skill (or Refine a Current One)
The summer semester is a great time to take fun and interesting electives that spark your curiosity. Without the time commitments of school and extracurricular activities, the summer is a great time to explore a new skill or develop one you already have. Digital Photography is a great summer course offering for students with an artistic side who want to learn more about photo composition and photo-editing techniques. - Explore Future Career Paths
During the school year you may only have a few opportunities to take electives. Summer is a great time to sample new subjects and explore a range of potential careers in the span of 4 weeks.
Some of VHS Learning’s college and career subjects include environmental science, criminal justice, and engineering. If you are interested in Earth and climate science, you may enjoy Earth: Our Changing Planet, a science elective that explores Earth as a dynamic system of four spheres: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. Another summer course, Criminology, offers an opportunity to learn about criminal profiling and psychological autopsies and explore the potential of careers in criminal justice and psychology. Analytically-minded students or those who are considering STEM majors might consider CAD or Computer-Aided Design. CAD Part 1 teaches the foundations of 3D modeling and engineering drawings while CAD Part 2 expands and refines those skills. - Prepare for College and Life
VHS Learning offers several online summer courses to help prepare you for college and the future. Writing the College Application Essay is a valuable writing course that helps you develop your essay-writing skills while creating a clear, well-structured, and engaging personal essay that can be used for college and scholarship applications. Another college-preparation course, Planning for College, sets you up for success as you begin to take college admissions exams and explore college options. VHS Learning also offers a Personal Finance course that is helpful to students at any grade level, providing students with tools and resources to manage personal finances and develop a stable financial future. - Complete Credit Recovery Courses
For students who need to make up core credits, summertime offers a great opportunity to take courses for credit recovery. All VHS Learning courses are taught by highly-qualified teachers who have been trained specifically to teach online. There are a variety of core subjects including Algebra 1, Biology, and all high school levels of English (9, 10, 11, 12). If you plan to take summer courses for credit recovery, be sure to consult your school beforehand to make sure they will grant credit for a VHS Learning course. All eligible summer courses are approved by the NCAA to meet athletic eligibility as students enter college. - Get Ahead or Free Up Your Schedule
Whether you want to accelerate your education or have more flexibility in your schedule during the school year, there are a wide variety of core courses available during the summer to help you get ahead. For example, World History, two levels of U.S. History, and two levels of English Literacy Skills are available during the summer months, as well as Biology, Chemistry, and several math courses. By taking these courses during the summer, you can complete your core education sooner and begin taking Advanced Placement (AP)® and other accelerated and specialized courses during the Fall or Spring semesters.
You can also sign up for Physical Education 1 & 2 and Health during the summer, freeing up space in your schedule for electives that are only offered during the Fall or Spring semesters. You should always consult your school to make sure they will grant credit for a VHS Learning course.
Online summer courses provide a wide variety of options to catch up and relearn important concepts, get ahead in the curriculum, and explore topics of interest. These courses are conducted entirely online by highly-qualified teachers who specialize in online teaching. Because summer courses are designed to be completed on students’ schedules, it’s still possible to hold a summer job and maintain other commitments while working towards your greater academic goals.
Additional information and registration for VHS Learning summer courses is available at vhslearning.org/summer.
