From as early as July, there have been many not-so-subtle reminders about the new school year. Stores have impressive displays with every supply a student could ever need. Anticipation for the start of school has been building, but no longer. At last, the time is upon us, and school has begun! With all of the excitement, there are also some nerves about how to make sure the year goes well. Straight from a four-year veteran of iUniversity Prep, here is a list of several veteran-approved tips on how to make the 2017-2018 year your best one yet!

Goal Setting
Take a second, and set some goals! Stick them to the wall right in front of your desk, put them on a virtual sticky note on your desktop, make them the wallpaper on your smartphone, whatever works for you. Goal setting is a quick and easy way to make your student life easier. After all, knowing your destination before you begin your journey can save yourself a lot of time and energy. Two things to keep in mind when setting your goals are to make them achievable and give them a timeframe. Even though it is tempting to set a goal that sounds out of this world, make sure that they are achievable, yet still challenging enough to motivate you to work for it. Adding a timeline to your goals will also help to motivate you to get the job done!

Organization, Organization, Organization
This second tip can sometimes be the bane of any well-meaning student’s existence, but it can be a savior during any bout of stress. Your workspace is something that is unique to each student, but one aspect that should be universal is organization. After all, how can you expect to ace that big test coming up in you can’t find your notes? It is critical to have some sort of organizational system in place. Maybe you keep all of your files in folders on your computer, or maybe you print everything out and store them in binders; the options are endless, and the choice is yours.

Find a System… And stick to it!
As we are still in the early stages of the school year, now is the time to experiment with different systems for your school work. One of the best parts about iUniversity Prep is the freedom we have in how we manage our own learning. With great power, however, also comes great responsibility. As students, we have the responsibility of finding our system, and sticking to it! It is all too easy to skip over writing out notes for a short lesson, or bypassing making a to-do list in the morning rush, but these little things can really build up over time, so be sure to try some things out until you find your system, and then do your absolute best to stick to it!

Stay On Track
Because of the flexibility of the school schedule here at iUniversity Prep, there is quite a bit of wiggle room when it comes to when assignments need to be completed. There will be unforeseen circumstances, of course, that mean that you can’t turn in that essay on a certain day, or that you have to push back that test for a few days. However, the flexible structure works both ways: if you put in a little extra time whenever you can, you may find yourself significantly far ahead. Then, when you have one of those crazy days when you don’t have a spare second to squeeze in some school work, you have a nice little cushion to keep you from getting behind. There is nothing worse than finding yourself with a mountain of work and no time before everything must be turned in. Very helpfully, the Connexus and Buzz planners provide easy views of when assignments need to be done. Most teachers also have an outline on their Google Site detailing their recommended pace for their classes. Save yourself the end-of-semester panic, and stay on track!

Use Your Resources
Your personal supply of resources can be your saving grace during the most intense times of the school year. They can be indispensable when you need to study over your Cornell notes before that quiz or test coming up. In addition to your regular school supplies, there are also other study aids right at your fingertips that may prove to be key to your success this school year, including online resources like Khan Academy and Crash Course, which provide insightful and helpful tutorial videos and practices for almost every class for every grade level. For a more personalized approach, Quizlet is an easy-to-use platform to make virtual flashcards, which can then be transformed into games and other activities to help you study. Planners provide a more structured way to help to plan out your daily, weekly, and monthly calendars, and are a great resource to use. Another tool to consider is the posted recordings of your LiveLessons. They can be very helpful in going back over something you didn’t quite understand. There are endless tools for you; use whatever resources work for you!

Communication
In addition to those listed above, one of the most important resources available to every student at iUniversity Prep is… your teachers! In my four years here, I have found that every teacher in this school is more than willing to help their students in any way that they can. One-on-one tutorials with your teacher is a resource that can be vital to success; even a simple call, text, or webmail with a quick question can be incredibly helpful over the course of the school year. So, don’t hesitate to reach out! Communication with your teachers is essential to success in virtual school.
These tips have earned my stamp of approval over the past four years here at iUPrep. Remember to set goals, keep everything organized, stick to the system that works for you, stay on track, use your resources, and communicate with your teachers, and I don’t see why this year won’t be your best year yet. Happy trails!