The process of choosing the best part-time diploma courses to complete your high school education is fairly simple. First, you must adequately assess your schedule and time commitments to see how much free time you have to dedicate to attending classes and studying outside of class. You must then assess the areas of general knowledge in which you are weakest, such as history, mathematics, English, or science. If you simply need a quick refresher prior to taking the General Education Diploma (GED) exam, you likely only need to take one or two part-time diploma courses, rather than taking several in succession. If you want to earn the actual diploma rather than passing the equivalency exam, you will need to obtain a copy of your high school transcripts and determine what units you need to complete for the diploma before choosing your part-time diploma courses.
Break down your weekly schedule, and include all of your current commitments both during the weekdays and weekends. Identify at least two blocks of time during the week, spanning three or four hours. This covers one three to four hour course and allows for three to four hours of study time. Block out three to four hours for each course that you want to take per academic term and a corresponding three to four hours of study time for each course.
You can take one of several general knowledge exams online or at an adult learning center to determine the academic areas in which you need the most help. Generally, if you did not excel in a particular subject while you were in high school, you need to focus on that area when choosing your part-time diploma courses. Most community colleges and adult learning centers have facilities and personnel that can help guide you to the specific courses that you should take, on a part-time basis, either to work toward diploma credit or as GED exam preparation. Both types of institutions also offer most, if not all, of the courses that you need to complete your goals.
If you plan to take the GED exam as an equivalency for a high school diploma, you can attend one of several preparatory part-time diploma courses that will cover each of the exam's sections in some detail. If you intend to complete the coursework necessary to be awarded a diploma, you will need to consult the course catalog for the school that you plan to attend and ensure that you take all necessary courses in the correct order. If it has been a long time since you last attended high school, consider taking refresher courses in all subjects, not just those you think you need help with.
