Summer is finally here! Unfortunately, so is COVID-19. Many students are trying to balance a normal summer with the need to maintain social distancing strategies. It’s likely that some form of school opening is going to happen in September, but online learning is going to be a facet of students’ education in the foreseeable future. For students thinking about summer school, an online high school is going to be the way to go. There are many advantages to virtual learning, and many students will prefer the online environment to a traditional classroom.
Firstly, instead of being at the whim of the class average, virtual learning allows learners to advance at their own pace. If a student is blazing through a particular topic, they can expedite coursework and move on to more challenging themes. Conversely, a student that is struggling can take their time to internalize the topic before moving on.
Considering that students are working at their own pace, they are encouraged to develop the time-management skills they’ll be using throughout their careers. It’s important to learn how to work smart, not hard! Also, through virtual-learning, students will be directly introduced to cloud technology.
Just like workers in the 1920s had to utilize newspapers, developing familiarity with the concept of software-as-a-service is essential to workers in the modern world, and through virtual learning, students can get a valuable head start. Finally, through virtual learning, your commute is removed! Students are no longer required to be in a particular physical location; instead, they can access their education anywhere with the right virtual school.
Long school commutes can also be devastating to students, and the time spent on the bus can easily be harnessed into more productive activities, such as extracurriculars or career development.
That said, virtual learning can be very different from traditional approaches, and requires a little preparation to really make the most of it. Here are five tips to make studying from home successful:
1. Maintain regular hours
When you’re learning from home, you have a lot more flexibility than in a traditional school. However, maintaining regular “school” hours will help you maintain a healthy balance between studies and your other activities. Maintaining a schedule also helps you work more efficiently.
2. Take regular breaks
Cramming doesn’t work. Working for hours and hours doesn’t help you learn — in fact, it hurts your retention. Without regular breaks, students’ output, mental health, and overall performance suffer. Try to take a short break every hour or so to keep yourself fresh.
3. Ask for support if you need it
It can be distressing to struggle with a topic alone. If you’re having difficulty with a topic, consider reaching out to your instructors. The right online high school will have teachers that are certified by the state or province, who will be available to impart personalized assistance during set times.
4. Make a workspace
Establish a place that is your “desk” and try to do all your schoolwork from there. It will help your productivity if you can make your desk your dedicated learning space, and you will be less tempted to waste time on social media! Keep any “fun” devices such as phones or video game consoles in a different room. This separation will instill a sense of work and reward that pays off in spades.
5. Go outside!
It’s lovely outside! Staying inside, surrounded by screens shreds your sleep schedule, especially if you’re using them in the evening. It’s really important to take the time to periodically go outside, reset, and recharge.
Follow these tips, and your foray into virtual school learning will be an easy transition. Good luck!