There are several myths out there about online platforms. One of the more prominent ones is – “Online learning is much easier than traditional learning in a classroom.” This is not true. While it is true that studying online does provide you with the freedom to learn at your own pace, which makes learning easier, it isn’t true that online courses are less challenging than traditional ones. Mastering time management and self-discipline are the essential skills you need for thriving in an online high school.
One of the most crucial skills for achieving success when studying online is preparing a strong foundation for yourself. It is absolutely vital to get this step right since a lot of the responsibility for succeeding with online platforms lies with the students as well as their parents. While there are several factors to consider when preparing a plan for online education, here we explain the two most critical factors that will highly influence how successful you really are when attending school online.
Manage Your Time Well
In a traditional school, students are provided with timetables to enable a structured form of learning. This is especially useful in developing a routine that helps students progress with their curriculum in a systematic manner. This involves separate time periods dedicated to different subjects of learning as well as physical education and breaks. School bells at the beginning and end of the day act as ‘bookmarks’ of sorts, functioning as psychological boundaries for students in school. Although minor in nature, and often overlooked, the bell ensures a clear division between school time and personal time.
At home however, when attending an online high school, there are no such demarcations. This is why setting time limits becomes even more important. Students and parents must sit down together and chalk out a timetable that suits them. Depending on parental responsibilities and professional commitments, the schedule can be tailored to suit each family’s own needs. Schools such as The Ogburn Online School provide students and parents with the necessary counseling and guidance to help them establish structured timetables based on their personal schedules.
Another area that requires focus in terms of time management is distractions. Being at home comes with its own set of distractions, most notably – social media. It is a well-known fact that young students spend a considerable amount of time on social media. Not only does this act as a major distraction from their studies, but it also leads to a lot of unproductive activity. Students and parents need to ensure that time spent on social media is within reasonable limits, so as not to affect the child’s timetable and personal timelines set for the submission of coursework assignments.
Develop Self-discipline
While this is one of the most crucial factors in ensuring your success, it is also one of the hardest to achieve. When students study in traditional schools, a lot of the discipline is enforced by external factors such as teachers and school authorities. However, when students enroll with an online high school, this discipline has to be self-enforced, in addition to parents playing a crucial role in maintaining oversight. This is absolutely essential to ensuring that you stick to the timetable you’ve set for yourself, so that you can achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.
Another important aspect to achieving self-discipline is establishing boundaries at home. When attending a traditional school, students do not need to do this in any way since the minute they step out of their house, they know they are leaving the comfort zone of their homes. In this case, boundaries are clearly defined and students generally enter a frame of mind that is focused on attending school the minute they get on the school bus or when they get into the car. School boundaries begin when they enter through the school gate, and the learning frame of mind typically sets in.
With online learning however, this frame of mind has to be cultivated. When studying at home, it is easy to get lost in the fact that you are still in the comfort zone of your own home even though you are now attending school in an online environment. To help establish the necessary boundaries, consider creating a separate learning space that is entirely dedicated to attending school online. Make sure there are no distractions in this area. Keep all your school materials, stationery and other supplies within reach and make sure personal items are kept out of this space.
Thriving in an Online High School
We hope we’ve helped you cover two of the most important aspects related to learning in an online environment. Once you’ve got these two building blocks in place, the rest typically falls into place. At The Ogburn Online School, we teach our students the value of managing their time well as well as the importance of having self-discipline if they are to succeed not just in school but in the real world as well. Given that a high school diploma is the first stepping stone to building a successful career, it is vital that students explore all possible options available to them.
With online platforms, they have an immense amount of flexibility in terms of scheduling as well as courses they can opt for. The Ogburn Online School offers high school students a number of courses to choose from. In addition to the required courses, high school students can choose from a wide range of Honors courses as well as Elective courses. Click here for more information on the different online courses available for high school students.
Manage your time well and implement self-discipline, and you too could thrive in an online high school!
