For one anonymous OHS freshman, Stanford Online High School was the perfect solution to their search for rigorous education. Especially after the 2019 COVID pandemic had pushed their previous school to distance learning, they found the online format comfortable. However, transitioning from their previous school to OHS has not been easy. Many OHSers share a similar experience – juggling the workload of two schools at once can be challenging.
The unique style of Stanford OHS allows students to attend part time or single course while attending a brick-and-mortar school full-time. However, the coursework from both schools can quickly pile up.
A common method students use to keep track of coursework is a schedule. “For me, keeping a to-do list is always a good idea – my two schools use different platforms, and it can get hard to keep track without putting it all into one to-do list,” shared a part-time freshman. Being part-time has also helped them realize how valuable their time has been – “I think being a part-time student also puts into place the importance of doing homework on time, because you don’t have as much ‘free’ time as you might have as a full-time student.”
Using a calendar to keep track of her assignments, Dawn Zhu, a part-time freshman at OHS, has noticed that her speed at which she gets things done has increased. “I use a calendar to keep track of the due dates on all my assignments, which helps with organization,” she said.
Another anonymous freshman said that OHS adds about three hours to their weekly workload, but they sometimes forget about it. “It’s a bit difficult but I definitely prioritize OHS over my B&M. It all works out because I just cram school work before class.” They also shared that they have a monthly planner to help them keep track of their assignments.
In fact, Victoria University of Melbourne supports using a schedule, saying that “Creating a study schedule will also help align your studies with other commitments, such as work or hobbies. This will help you avoid clashes in your schedule, as you’ll have a clear view of what lies ahead, week by week.” This can be especially helpful for part-time and single-course students to balance homework with any other activities they might have.
Despite using schedules, students still notice some challenges with juggling their work – “I’m very deadline driven so I still do all of the work in one big rush but OHS is a lot more than what I’m used to doing, so I have to space out the work more,” shared an anonymous OHSer.
An anonymous OHSer in 10th grade stated that they struggled to keep up with their coursework sometimes, although they have found some benefits. “Honestly, being partly online has made it easier to study – I can just pull up my computer in between community college classes and do my work, instead of having to lug around a textbook and other materials.” They shared some tips on how they manage their time, and something that they have found helps them focus is a timer clock. “I can set for a certain amount of time and it shows me how much time is left visually, so I can budget how much time I work on different things.”
Despite the challenges of managing coursework, students from all across the world share the experience of attending two schools at once – Stanford OHS allows them to connect and share those experiences together.