Texas Tech High School NHS Members Submit Top Tips for Online Students

By Leslie Cranford, Section Manager

When it comes to online learning, Texas Tech High School's National Honor Society students have it down pat. They are juggling their online studies with other pursuits and doing it well, based on the four pillars of NHS membership: scholarship, leadership, community service and character.

Recently these students were assigned a community service project, with the opportunity to submit their Top 5 Tips for Online Learning, to benefit their fellow TTU K-12 students and other virtual learners.

Many of the students' themes were similar, such as finishing work early and making a set schedule to complete it.

Rachel Koerner, a ballet dancer from Texas, suggested finding a comfortable and consistent place to work.

"If you do school at home, choose a place where you will be most productive in your schoolwork," she said. "Usually, such a place would not be your bedroom, because your brain connects the room to sleeping and resting. Look for a different option such as a desk, table or couch in another room."

Flávia Figuerêdo, one of Texas Tech High School's many Brazilian concurrent-diploma students, suggested having a good balance of social life and school.

"As you are in an online school, your life with friends and family can be mixed with your studies," she said. "However, you should do a schedule where you can put all of it together."

Figuerêdo also suggested being in a self-paced environment facilitates being more active. "By being an online student, you are able to do more sports and focus more on your health, both physical and mental."

Anil Shanker, who has attended TTU K-12 his entire school career, included two notable tips among his five.

"Take frequent breaks," Shanker advises. "TTU K-12 academics are more mentally taxing than normal school, as self-pacing mandates full mental attention. Consequently, aim to spend no more than two hours at a time doing schoolwork. Breaks improve concentration and learning efficiency, so it would actually be counterproductive to not take breaks."

He also mentions one that some students may not remember to do - enjoy distance education!

"TTU K-12 doesn't restrict you to a school schedule, so fully use your opportunity to take mid-year vacations, sleep in every day or spend more time on extracurricular activities," he said. "Being primarily self-taught, TTU K-12 is more challenging than regular school. Consequently, you should reward your efforts by promoting a healthy school-life balance."

Annie Doherty, a senior, has attended TTU K-12 since her sophomore year. Because she can study at her own pace, she uses her free time to volunteer at her local Meals on Wheels center delivering meals to the clients. Doherty suggests an effective "old school" tip to her peers.

"Print out readings and highlight the important parts when studying for tests. Flash cards really help me and anything that's highlighted."

Read the complete Top 5 Tips lists submitted by the NHS students.