text: Students in high school always talk about wanting to get to college because of the freedoms they want to experience by living on a college campus. Taking online courses can help prepare students for life after high school, by allowing them to work at their own pace and participate in the course from home. In my experiences, being able to take a break from school during the day and head home for a class period has provided me with the experiences I need to be successful while enrolled in college. Knowing what time to be back at school and what would be appropriate to do during an online class period can teach students self-awareness and help them prepare for their future lives. However, some may say that giving students too much freedom during the day could be a recipe for disaster, and could set some students up to fail the courses they have at school, as well as their online course. If students are not taught how to set aside their time and plan, while being able to be unsupervised, then the schooling system is setting these students up to struggle in the real world once they leave high school. Allowing students to work at their own pace in online courses teaches them to prepare ahead and stay on schedule. Giving students more freedoms while they are in high school can prepare them for the future while also handing them valuable lessons in how to manage time and work.