Karina Herrera has just entered her Junior year. This past month was filled with new school supplies, getting to know her teachers and starting a whole new semester, just like most of her peers. However, unlike many of the students she attended Freshman and Sophomore years at Freedom High School with, she is now a full time Florida Virtual School (FLVS) student.

“It feels liberating to not have to wake up at the crack of dawn and I get to complete my assignments from the comfort of my home,” said Herrera.

Herrera has attended public schools since kindergarten, but chose to switch to virtual school for her 11^th and 12^th grades.

“I had really bad asthma throughout my academic career, and it impacted my attendance. I found myself getting behind on assignments and it was just a really stressful and unproductive environment, so I decided to do FLVS,” explained Herrera.

The flexibility of working at a pace that is comfortable for each student is a major draw for virtual classes. Courses are accessible 24/7 and assignments are due by a weekly quantity. For example, a class may encourage students to complete a minimum of four assignments each week, instead of setting a due date for each.

“I’m a visual person, so seeing all of my assignments laid out in front of me makes it so much more manageable because I’m in charge of my schedule. I’m not getting late grades because the teachers aren’t giving me specific due dates for everything; I set my own,” noted Herrera. “I think the approach to the assignments on FLVS is more effective for me; there’s no busy work. It involves less time with greater productivity to learn the same material, but it all depends on your willingness to learn.”

Common perceptions of virtual school involve a lack of social situations caused by continually spending time secluded as opposed to constant interaction with peers at school.

“It’s not necessarily a negative impact, but one thing I did learn is that when you’re removed from a social setting where you’re forced to be around your friends and other students, it’s hard to maintain the relationships, and you can feel left out, so it’s important to make the effort to hang out with your friends,” Herrera noted.

Similar to any other high school, FLVS provides a different range of opportunities for students like Karina.

“There’s definitely a wide variety of courses to choose from – a lot of electives and languages that aren’t offered at Freedom, so it gives you a wider range of options,” stated Herrera. “There are also several online clubs, including National Honors Society, that are just as involved as a school club.

One added benefit of being able to do schoolwork at a time convenient to each individual student includes more time to explore hobbies and volunteer.

“I can put more into extracurricular activities. I’ve been exploring my interests, such as photography and writing. [FLVS is] also giving me more time to volunteer. There a tons of great programs that are even easier for me to work with without the time restrictions of traditional schooling,” said Herrera.

Virtual school is not for everyone, but Herrera explains, “I would recommend full-time FLVS for students who find themselves frustrated with the Freedom High School environment and are comfortable taking their academics into their own hands. For the people that value the typical high school experience – prom, customizing your senior parking space, the typical high school relationships – FLVS wouldn’t work for them.”

Though going full virtual does come with its own set of challenges, Karina Herrera feels more than up to the task of taking them on with fervor.

“I feel like being in control of my academics has shown me that there is another path besides the traditional one and that it’s really worked for me. I’m doing high school my way,” stated Herrera.