Online Classes 2.0: 5 ways to prepare for the year ahead

As summer comes to a close, the phrase “back to school” greets us once more! With this academic year still being held online, you’ll once again face tasks you spent months adjusting to, from answering discussion boards to attending virtual org events. However, e-learning doesn’t have to be intimidating, because you can take steps to set yourself up for success in school!

Reflect on your learnings from the past year.

Drawing from your previous experience in online classes ensures a better school year to come. Identify strengths and weaknesses with your current study routine, and prioritize working on your areas for improvement. For example, if procrastination was a struggle, exploring different time management approaches may be your strategy! Journaling is also a good way to piece together resolutions.

Identify your goals

After reviewing your school routine, it’s time to turn your plans into reality by setting goals! These don’t have to be purely academic, as you can dig deeper into other areas of your life that affect your mindset for school. Make sure that your goals are realistic and attainable so that they are easy to transform into daily habits. Last, get creative with ways to remind yourself of them, such as crafting a vision board or writing down a mantra!

Choose the right school for you

While preparing for the year teaches you to be proactive, choosing the right school goes a long way in making the virtual set-up truly conducive for studying. An ideal school has an engaging environment, just like the Critical Thinking Based Learning Method (CTBL) used in APEC Schools. This strategy trains students to confidently voice out their opinions and ask critical questions, skills important in finding solutions to real-world problems. Through the flipped classroom setup, students are empowered to take charge of their education, as they work together with Learning Facilitators for their studies instead of sitting through continuous lectures. Students are also taught independence as they can choose from the distance learning and homeschool programs for the set-up and pacing that suit them the best.

Organize your tools

With your goals in place, you must ready yourself with the right tools!. Apps and Google Chrome extensions will make the student life a breeze while personalizing your planner and to-do lists is the way to go if you prefer writing manually. While trying out new things is exciting, remember to find out what works best for you so that you won’t waste time and energy! In addition, don’t be afraid to reach out to your peers, parents, or your school if you find yourself struggling with the resources needed for studying. With gadgets becoming essential in this digital set-up, the Own-a-Chromebook program of APEC Schools provides students with laptops to make sure they are ready for digital learning. Students who have registered and paid the admission fee from July 17 to August 17 can avail of a brand new Chromebook on installment at lower-than-store price perfect for all virtual activities.

Facing rapid changes and unprecedented challenges as a student can be tough, so it also helps if your school is well-equipped to support you. With APEC Schools as the first Google Reference School in the Philippines, the school creatively and innovatively integrates Google for Education resources in their programs so that you can make the most out of your learning. Using Google Meet for discussions and browsing through announcements and materials in Google Classroom are just some of the engaging ways these technologies make classes fruitful and efficient for everyone.

Prioritize your wellbeing

Virtual learning can be demanding at times, which is why you must also prepare mentally before diving into another school year. Make sure that you allot breaks in between classes by scheduling “me time”. Institutions like APEC Schools make this easy for you, as they implement 2 hours of synchronous classes daily, a maximum of 2 subjects per day, and no quarterly assessments so that staying on top of your studies and commitments while still making time for yourself is more than possible! Take a breather from academics by spending time with your friends and schoolmates by joining fun virtual org events and foundation day activities as well.

While going to school through a screen again can be daunting, it doesn’t have to be if you’re well-prepared for what’s to come 😉 By playing an active role in your studies and choosing the right school, you’ll definitely become #BetterEachDay as a student!

Curious about what’s in store for you? Join the first-ever APEC Schools Boot Camp on July 26, 2021 to take a glimpse of how online classes and extracurricular activities are like in APEC Schools before the start of the school year on August 16, 2021.

Register now at https://apecschoolsinc.secure.force.com/Registration/.