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High School Online Learning

A Day In The Life Of An Online High School Student

What’s online high school really like? Find out what an average day can potentially look like and why this format might be the best way for you to obtain your high school education in this blog.

Laura Amendola

Aug 07, 2026

10 min read

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Key Takeaways

Online high school offers flexibility for a wide range of students.
Online high school is designed for traditional teens, working adults, student athletes, creative students, and anyone who needs a more flexible path to earning a diploma. Students can study on their own schedule and progress at a pace that fits their lifestyle and responsibilities.
Success in online learning depends on creating a routine that works for you.
While there is often no fixed schedule, the importance of time management and developing a study routine can make all the difference.
Online high school provides support and valuable life-skill development.
Contrary to the misconception that online students are on their own, learners often have access to instructors, learner support teams, and academic resources. The self-paced format also helps students build independence, accountability, goal-setting, communication, and time-management skills that can benefit them beyond high school

Whether you’re considering transferring from your current high school, you’re a parent who wants to enroll your child in an at-home education program, or you’re an adult who wants to finish their diploma, online high school can be a great, flexible solution. But is online school right for you? Here’s everything you need to know about what it’s like to be an online high school student!

Who goes to online high school?

Online high school can be a great option for many people who want to earn their diploma their way or help their career. From traditional aged students just starting the ninth grade, to older adults who never had the time or opportunity to graduate, flexible, accredited online classes can be done on your schedule, from home.

A completely online high school gives you access to your classes 24/7 so you can work through them at the speed that works best for you. Even better, you set the pace and determine your own schedule, whether that means studying every day or just once per week. This makes online high school a great solution for people who have packed schedules, work, family responsibilities, or are invested in pursuing their passion for sports and other hobbies.

Is online high school different than traditional high school?

Online high school and a traditional public school have a few things in common, as well as some big differences.

Like a public high school, Penn Foster is regionally accredited. Accreditation is essential to ensure what you’re learning meets local and national education standards. Also similar to traditional high school, Penn Foster’s high school classes follow a standard curriculum, with math, science, English, history, and elective courses.

Unlike a regular public high school, there’s no set schedule – students like you decide when and where to log in and study. You also work on classes one at a time, so you’re not juggling English, math, science, and everything else all at once. This gives you the opportunity to really focus on the subject you’re learning!

What is your daily routine in online education?

Since you’re in charge of your schedule as a Penn Foster High School student, setting up a daily routine to keep yourself on track can be your best bet for success in an online school. Managing your time and sticking to some sort of schedule will help you to keep moving forward, so you’ll want to make sure you take the time to figure out what sort of daily or weekly schedule works best for your life.

Not everyone needs or wants to follow a strict schedule, but for younger students, sticking to something similar to what they’re used to from public school can be helpful. For adult high school students, the study timeline might look completely different, depending on their work schedule, how much free time they have, and what other responsibilities they have.

Not sure how to start figuring out an effective study schedule? Check out these examples:

Sample daily schedule for online high school students (14-18 years old)

7am-8am. Wake up, eat breakfast, and get ready for the day.
8am-9am. Get ready to start your studies. That means gathering any materials you need and heading to your dedicated study space. Log in to your Learner Center.
9am-12pm. Dig into studying. Pick up where you left off in your study material and take notes. If you’re ready, you’ll also take exams and work on assignments.
12pm. Lunch.
1pm-2pm. Finish up any studying you have to do for the day and take the time to figure out what you need to work on the next day. From there, you’re free to go to work, spend time on hobbies and extracurricular activities, and other responsibilities. You can also keep working on your studies if you want to – after all, it’s self-paced!

Sample daily schedule for adults in online high school (who work during the day)

7am-8am. Wake up, get ready for the day, head to work.
9am-5pm. Work. As an online student, you may be able to get some study time in during your breaks and lunches.
5pm-6pm. Commute home, get dinner on the table, take care of other responsibilities.
7pm-8pm. Log in to your Learner Center and pick up where you left off from the last time you studied. Read study material, take notes, and take exams when you’re ready.
8pm-?. Your daily study sessions will often last as long as you feel they need to, but you may not have time to dedicate more than an hour per day to your studies, and that’s okay. You’ve got a lot going on. Don’t forget to take time to do things you enjoy, too, like watching your favorite TV show, reading a book, and spending time with friends so you don’t get burnt out.

Sample daily schedule for a student athlete or creative student

7am-8am. Wake up, eat breakfast, and get ready for the day.
8am-9am. Review your schedule and gather any materials you’ll need for studying later. If you have a morning practice, rehearsal, or workout, use this time to prepare before heading off.
9am-11am. Focus on your coursework. Read study material, take notes, work through assignments, and complete exams when you're ready. Since your coursework is asynchronous, you can make progress at times that fit your training or creative commitments.
11am-12pm. Practice, training session, rehearsal, lesson, or other extracurricular activities.
12pm. Lunch.
1pm-3pm. Continue with practices, games, competitions, rehearsals, performances, or creative projects. If you have downtime between activities, you can log in and complete smaller school tasks.
3pm-4pm. Take a break, relax, and recharge.
4pm-5pm. Complete another focused study session. Review what you learned earlier, finish assignments, or prepare for exams.
5pm and beyond. Enjoy dinner, spend time with family and friends, attend evening events, or continue working toward your athletic or creative goals. If needed, you can always fit in extra coursework later since your program is self-paced.

Sample daily schedule for a student who learns best at their own pace

8am-9am. Wake up, have breakfast, and ease into the day without rushing.
9am-9:45am. Complete your first focused study session in a quiet, distraction-free environment. Work through some study material and take notes.
9:45am-10am. Take a short break to stretch, walk around, or grab a snack.
10am-10:45am. Complete your second study session.
10:45am-11:15am. Take another break and give your mind time to recharge.
11:15am-12pm. Work on assignments or exams if you're ready.
12pm. Lunch.
1pm-1:45pm. Complete a final study session for the day. Review notes, revisit challenging concepts, or plan your next steps.
1:45pm-2pm. Organize your study materials and create a simple plan for tomorrow.
2pm and beyond. Enjoy the flexibility of learning at your own pace. Spend time on hobbies, work, family responsibilities, or relaxation. If you feel motivated later in the day, you can always return to your coursework and make additional progress.

How many hours a day should I do online school?

Depending on your graduation goal – the date you want to have all of your classes completed by - and how much time you have, the hours you study per day can vary by person and circumstance. There’s no hard and fast rule to how many study hours you need to do each day. Some students can spend five hours a day studying, while others may be lucky to get in an hour per week and that’s perfectly fine! Even an hour of studying is still making progress.

However, if you want to follow a rule of thumb, it can be best to talk to other high school students who are working on their diploma online. Penn Foster’s social media accounts can be a great place to connect with online learners!

Does online school make students lazy?

No, online school doesn’t make students lazy. This is a common misconception people may have due to the fact that online school allows students to do their work from home, maybe even from their couch or their bed, and there’s often no set schedule or teachers present to keep the student on track. But that’s the best part of online high school – you base your study time and progress around your life and your goals, not a predetermined, one-size-fits-all schedule. You’re not lazy if you can only focus on school for a few hours. Having this flexibility can be exactly what you need to excel academically. Take the time you need to really learn the information you’re studying.

What does support look like in online high school?

For teens or parents of teens, the amount of support available in online high school can be a massive concern. Adult learners may be less, or in some cases even more concerned about this. You may be surprised to know that students often have access to both general and academic support in many online high schools. Penn Foster has a team of instructors available to help when you get stuck on any of the material you’re learning as well as a team of learner success advocates to aid in any general questions or concerns you may have. We also have a Learning Resource Center where students can find support for many things they may need help with, such as concepts in particular subjects, help writing an essay, and even how to use AI ethically in school.

Is online learning good for high school students?

Besides being self-paced, online learning offers a lot of other benefits to high school students. This can be especially true for traditional aged students! While a regular public high school will manage time for learners, online learning is independent. Outside of what they learn in their classes, online high school students need to learn time management, adaptability, and how to manage themselves – all skills that are great for the “real” world.

That’s not all, though. Working through an online education program can help build independence, goal-setting skills, communication skills, accountability, and even confidence. A classroom environment can do harm to things like confidence for some students who struggle with social or test anxiety (or both). These students may be more hesitant to ask for help and may be hyper aware of what their classmates are doing or how quickly others are finishing their work. In an online high school program, this factor is often eliminated, so there’s no comparing yourself to other students who may learn quicker or easier than you do.

Earn your diploma your way with Penn Foster High School

Anyone anywhere can attend online high school with Penn Foster – you just need to be at least 13 years old and have finished the eighth grade or equivalent to get started!

Online high school can be a great solution for students who may just not fit in a “normal” high school setting. Whether you’re a traditional student who needs a self-paced schedule or an adult trying to earn their diploma between work and life, Penn Foster High School’s online, self-paced classes can help you take the first steps toward reaching your goals your way. To learn more about our high school curriculum or how to enroll, request info or reach out to an Admissions Specialist today at 1-888-427-6500!