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The Ogburn Online School
Online schooling is perhaps the only form of schooling that children are not dreaded about. Though with caliber, they show mediocre results due to many reasons such as the generalized pace of the traditional school not befitting them, or the instructor is not paying enough attention to his or her worries. The reasons can be manifold. Passing with consistent minimal grades and finding the study materials boring might crush the young souls of some of these more deserving students. It is then that they look out desperately for other non-traditional forms. Online schooling seems to a stress buster for them! With generalized pace and ultra-flexible scheduling, online schooling appears to be in its most angelic form! However, you cannot take this form of schooling too easy just because it is on the virtual platform. You need to be serious enough, for it to work wonders for you.
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Here are certain basic things you should know before switching to an online school, especially from a traditional school:
- Be ready with a properly functional system and high speed Wi-Fi connectivityFirst and foremost, you need to take care of the technical aspects. The system should be a properly update one with all the latest versions of programs such as Antivirus, Java etc. Many specific configuration settings might be required as per the particular online school. So, make sure to contact the helpdesk support team of the school for getting your system technically eligible for the coursework. It is better to keep the contact details of the support team handy. Also, you can take guidance from the Enrollment Officer. Do not keep these technical settings pending for the last moment, especially when you are in close proximity to your assignment deadlines! Also, make sure to possess a not only decent but high speed of internet connectivity. These are like oxygen to the smooth progression of your coursework! If possible, maintain a backup as well in case of power failure or a temporarily non-functional system.
- Train yourself to be mentally prepared for the changeIt is not only a change of school, but a change of mental habits as well! You need to drill your mind to get entrenched into the online environment. If possible, you can take some little extra measures such as knowing keyboard shortcuts etc. Keep in mind that you need to be a changed person now that you will no more be subjected to excessive prompting or any kind of external pressure for completing your assignments. You need to be self-driven and organized. You have to self-master yourself and take the ownership of your course.
- Gather knowledge on the school’s accreditation statusAccreditation is the primal factor when you are making your entry into an online school. Just remember, diplomas or degrees from a non-accredited online school are looked down upon. Check the credible website of the online school and make sure it has an accreditation status. Also, the accrediting agencies should be genuine ones. Make a list of all the possible genuine accreditors in U.S. Then match these with the names displayed on the online school’s website. Always prefer an accredited online high school.
- Ensure to get your credits transferredThe online school might have a different set of criteria to be fulfilled for one to graduate, as compared to your previous traditional school. Make sure that your credit points from the previous school are transferred. You can consult with your Enrollment Officer in case credit transfer does not happen smoothly, so can he can find a workaround at least.
- Construct a robust and attainable schedulePreparing a schedule beforehand is of utmost importance. Your preparatory mechanism depends entirely on your schedule. Make sure to take the guidance of your parents, Enrollment officer or online faculty while creating the schedule. Also, create in a way it can be attained humanly.
- Practice more to be a hands-on expert technicallyKeep in mind that you need to really know your online tools and resources well. From how to access the tools to knowing their utility, you have to be a know-it-all. An extensive hands-on experience is crucial to researching into the deeper roots of a subject online. Online schools offer you an elaborate set of such smart tools that it is a waste if you do not master them.
- Be more pro-active while conversing with online instructors and peersPassivity is not a symptom of success when it comes to online schooling. You need to initiate conversations with your online instructors, build rapport and address as much queries as you have. You need to feel the comfort level in order to open up to your instructors. Also, you need to actively take part in as many online activities as you can, such as online debates, group discussions or collaborative projects. Exchanging of ideas can be the most effective way of bonding with your online peers.
- Practice working soloYou need to be well-accustomed to studying and preparing notes alone. Of course, you shall have the full-time support of your online instructors but you need to do away with the habit of group studying.
- Make genuine efforts to remain ahead of scheduleTry adhering to your schedule at any cost. In fact, if you finish your quota for the day, try completing one extra lesson to remain a step ahead of your schedule. It always helps.
- Be transparent with your online instructors and guardiansThough sound a bit frivolous technically, but it is important from an emotional standpoint. It is a tendency for a child to keep his weaknesses and insecurities bottled up. Transparency is the key to getting wholesome solutions for all your issues, both academic and personal ones. With no face-to-face interaction, it is vital for you to overly express your concerns to your online instructors to get them resolved.
Follow these guidelines and you are sure to get rolling with an online school of your choice.
