Life Skills Online Class for Homeschoolers

I’ve had the opportunity to share with you a few times about online classes offered by Mr. D (Dennis DiNoia) including Mr. D Online Math and ACT Test Prep Classes Online. Today I’m going to introduce you to another helpful class he offers called College and Career Readiness.

This class focuses on life skills and is geared toward high school students. Mr. D is an engaging and enthusiastic teacher so I was looking forward to seeing how he taught this practical class when I had the chance to visit. As always, it was a pleasant experience.

I received access to this course online for free. I am being compensated for my time to write this review. All opinions are my own.

College and Career Readiness Overview

College and Career Readiness is a 16 week course that covers a wide variety of skills young adults will need as they leave high school and enter either the workforce or college. Because the topics are so practical to real life, it doesn’t really matter if your student has decided to attend college, pursue a job, or is still undecided. There is excellent information throughout the course that can be applied to each life path.

The topics covered each week include:

• Week 1: How the Course Works
• Week 2: Goal Setting
• Week 3: Time Management
• Week 4: Introduction to Financial Literacy
• Week 5: Introduction to the Stock Market
• Week 6: Check Writing, Credit Cards, and Having a Bank Account
• Week 7: Getting What You Need and Asking for Want
• Week 8: Learning Styles and Career Assessment
• Week 9: Researching a Company or University
• Week 10: Special Session – Interview with founder of Option Alpha and Project on Financing a Car
• Week 11: Specialized Knowledge and Having a Burning Desire
• Week 12: A Career Virtual Field Trip
• Week 13: Resume Writing
• Week 14: A College Campus Virtual Field Trip
• Week 15: Managing Life Like a Business
• Week 16: Wrap Up

How the Life Skills Course Works

Online courses are pretty straightforward once you understand how they work. If you or your child have never experienced this, allow me to give you an overview!

This class includes multiple components. There are live weekly sessions when everyone meets for a class together by using the online program. There are assignments to complete independently outside of class time. There is also a community component where students get to know each other as they interact over assignments on a forum type discussion board.

The Benefit of an Outside Mentor

We’ve always believed that Caroline can benefit from having instructors, leaders, and mentors other than us. While we are her parents and primary teachers, I think there is value in our children hearing the same truth about life and the world repeated from other trustworthy adults.

I think this is a good course for high schoolers to take from someone other than mom and dad. Certainly many of these are topics we will teach our children simply through living life as homeschoolers. But I think there can be significant value in hearing about the importance of real life skills from someone else. While most teens understand on some level that mom and dad know a lot and want the best for their child, I think an outside perspective that reinforces the impact these topics can have on a person’s life can be incredibly valuable.

I think it’s also valuable to have the positive interaction with the other students regarding these life skills and choices. Mr. D does a great job of being positive and upbeat, something I’ve mentioned in previous course reviews. I think that rubs off on the students and creates a friendly and encouraging atmosphere. Reading through some of the discussions taking place between the students in the messaging area was encouraging for me as a mom! There are some great kids out there and this kind of course gives them a chance to meet and interact with each other while being guided by a caring instructor.

Overall, College and Career Readiness with Mr. D is a great option for homeschooled high school students. I encourage you to click over and check it out as well as all of the other helpful classes he has to offer.