Whether it is fall, winter, or summer, with just a few taps on their laptop, University Prep students can access over 50 unique courses offered by the Global Online Academy.

This year will be the seventh year since UPrep introduced GOA courses as an opportunity for its students. According to site director and science and math teacher Ragini Narasimhan, there was heavy discussion and preparation that went into making this decision, one being the convenience of resources.

“In order to introduce more courses at UPrep you have to have a minimum of 6 to 8 kids in a classroom,” Narasimhan said. “GOA allows for situations where you can have one UPrep student interested in medical problem solving, but you can have just one student per school and still make up around 25 to 30 kids for that class.”

GOA courses are beneficial for reasons other than convenience. Senior Maylin Gasga says GOA allows her to build connections with students from all around the world. 

“I definitely love the ability to collaborate with people who aren’t physically with me and just get to know those individuals. I was able to build a really strong friendship with one of my old classmates who lived in Japan but now moved to Seattle,” Gasga said.

Experiences like Maylin’s are made possible through the Global Online Academy’s partnerships with 135 independent schools. These member schools have students logging on from five different continents. 

GOA would be impossible without the collective efforts of site directors, Ragini Narasimhan, and Library Director, Anne Bingham. Site directors are advisors for students taking GOA courses at UPrep.

“Basically, I am a coach for students in helping them succeed in their GOA classes online. So I help them navigate their classes, remind them of important deadlines and give them encouragement to manage their time well,” Bingham said. 

Bingham and Narasimhan witness a common challenge UPrep students face when it comes to GOA courses firsthand. The workload that comes with taking GOAs can become overwhelming for students due to poor time management.

“Many have this misconception that the GOA period is a free period, and tend to procrastinate. Then all of a sudden their work piles up, and it’s just not a pretty sight. But we’re always here to help because we are aware that kids start off thinking that way,” Narasimhan said.

Junior Grey Orr prides herself in staying committed to her practice of Japanese through her three years of GOA courses. As her language fluency increases, so does the difficulty of the course. Luckily, Orr has grown familiar with this challenge and has grown to be successful despite it. 

“I feel like the challenges I face are pretty basic,” Orr said. “They’re like time management, making sure I get stuff in on time and making sure I check my email every day. But if you remind yourself of what you need to do, it’s chill.”