Unsurprisingly, online education is catching on with a growing number of students. Maybe it’s the knock-on effects of the pandemic, which provided a “proof of concept” for students who wouldn’t have otherwise considered online schooling. Or maybe this is the direction that the whole world is moving – toward digital spaces, personalized experiences and better mechanisms for support.
Whatever the reason, we now have a sizeable portion of the school-aged population completing their high school and college diplomas digitally. Yet, for all the many resources aimed at helping students excel in classroom settings, we have relatively little literature on making the most of an online education.
Let’s work to change that. Here are four clever ways to maximize your online high school or college courses.
Implement Effective Time Management Strategies and Make the Self-Paced Model Work for You
The majority of online courses are “self-paced” or “asynchronous,” meaning students are free to learn at their own speed and create their own schedules.
In many ways, this is a liberating school model; it allows students to take the time they need to understand challenging concepts, or pull ahead when concepts come naturally. But it does require time management for it to work properly.
In classroom settings, a teacher dictates and manages time. In online schools, it’s up to the students. Therefore, to make the most of your digital schooling, consider strategies like the Pomodoro Method, Pareto Analysis or Parkinson’s Law.
If Your Online School Offers Teacher Communication and Tutoring, Use It
Without a physical teacher hovering over your shoulder, you may feel lost for support. You shouldn’t. If you can jump that short mental hurdle and ask for help online, you’ll find that support is easy to come by in online education.
The best online schools offer ample opportunities for teacher engagement, as well as 24/7 online tutoring for students who have questions outside of school hours. Use these resources. Don’t struggle in solitude with a challenging unit or tricky exam prep; build learning support into your time management schedule (see above) for the best results. If you aren’t sure where to find a supportive school, check out OES, which offers a support-centric Ontario high school diploma online.
Take Time for Rest, Relaxation, Mental Health and Pursuing Passions
One of the wonderful things about online education is its flexibility. As mentioned, these self-paced models let you craft your own schedule. Rather than constraining your education to the hours between 9 and 4 pm, you can personalize a schedule that allows you to pursue other passions. If you want to join a baseball league that meets at noon on Thursdays, go for it! If you want to audit university biology courses to get a head start on post-secondary education, do it!
Or if you just feel like you need space to prioritize your rest, relaxation and mental health, take that time. A passionate, rested, and happy student is more likely to be a successful student. So capitalize on the flexibility of online education to create the school-life balance you deserve.
If you’re one of the many students dipping your toes into the exciting world of online education, follow these three tips.
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