Stride Career Prep: I Decided Not To Play Video Games, And Instead, I Learned More

Learning And Studying Are The Primary Focus Of My Daily High School Schedule, As An Online Student

By Victor Pineda-Tinoco, Stride Student Advisor

While attending a Stride K12-powered school, I’ve enjoyed a flexible schedule, with tons of time to spend however I choose. One of the things I loved most about online school, initially, was being able to play video games for hours on end… while still having time to finish my schoolwork. In fact, that’s how I spent most of my time during finals week! But, over the past few months, all of that changed.

Studying became a primary focus for me, and I grew eager to restructure my days so that learning was the central component.

Because I opted to set video games aside, as my main motivator and source of enjoyment, I found that I could do my studying more effectively, and in a way that would allow me to learn the material better. This meant that I could actually spend less time on each chapter of my coursework. I could still get through all of it with some extra time at the end of each week or month. I could also study frequently, in small bursts, throughout my semester, with learning as my top priority. Doing so allowed me not to have any gaps in knowledge between assignments—which is especially helpful when you’re taking multiple classes, which are taught at different times throughout the year (like taking dual credit and AP classes).

In addition, I discovered that having consistent motivation helps me to feel engaged! So, I would say it is incredibly important for students to find a personal source of motivation in their own lives, to make learning and studying a top priority.

There are also a couple of other studying tips that I managed to pick up along the way…

First, make a schedule for yourself, and stick to it! If you have time on your hands, then think through each day and decide what you can accomplish in those twenty minutes or so that appear to be “extra.” If there’s something that needs doing (like homework), then do it first, before playing video games or engaging in other leisure activities—otherwise it becomes harder to do later on, when all of those responsibilities are waiting for their turn at the bottom of your list.

Second, it is vital to have a plan for when there isn’t enough time left over for leisure, after completing all of the necessary tasks for learning and studying. You may want to consider reorganizing your daily schedule, class load, and/or extracurricular activities, if you find this is something happening to you on a regular basis. While learning and studying is the primary goal, there should still be some time for the things you like… such as watching favorite TV shows, playing video games, and hanging out with friends and family.

I hope that this article has helped you in some ways to make key decisions about how you divide up your educational time and leisure sessions in your schedule, because it is important. It is what we do with our lives each day that matters most. And, if we take control of our lives, then we are likely to have a better experience overall.

Discover how to stay motivated during the school year with this Stride Student Advisor article!

To read more about attending an online school, be sure to check out What I Learned From Doing Online School For 10 Years.

Stride also has an article to help students new to online high school, so make sure you read 5 Tips For New Online High School Students, too!