Preparing for Post-Secondary Through Online Learning
August 2, 2019
The transition from high school to college or university can be daunting. Some students struggle to adapt to different teaching styles and new academic responsibilities. Online learning in high school can ease this transition by helping students to develop important skills such as personal responsibility, effective study habits, and the ability to overcome academic challenges.
Personal Responsibility
Teachers in bricks-and-mortar high schools tend to inform and remind students about required readings, assessment expectations, and deadlines. Students may even have opportunities to submit work after a deadline has passed, or to redo work to improve a grade. Teaching styles tend to be less lenient at the post-secondary level. Once a professor has handed out any documents outlining course expectations, it’s presumed that students understand and will follow those expectations without reminder.
Online learning requires students to work independently, without direct, immediate aid. This approach to learning fosters personal responsibility, especially when it comes to course expectations, which positions students for greater post-secondary success.
Effective Study Habits
Course content and expectations are more advanced at college and university. As a result, students who apply high school study habits may run into difficulties. Techniques that may have been effective in high school, such as simply reading and creating study notes, may not be enough to fully grasp post-secondary course material. Students who develop more thorough study habits—including any combination of reading, notes, practice exercises, memory queues, lecture reviews, online or in-person study groups, and so on—are often better prepared to master complex course content.
Overcoming Academic Challenges
As students adapt to more complex and independent work, some may fail a course, earn a low GPA, or switch majors altogether. It’s natural to feel discouraged when these things happen, but they are also opportunities to overcome challenges and discover new skills and interests. Students transitioning from bricks-and-mortar schools to online learning might experience similar academic challenges. It’s important to not get discouraged. With hard work, you can adapt to an online learning environment. If you look at it as an opportunity to become a stronger, more independent student, it will help you in the classroom now and in the future.
