It's a new term, and you've probably been in school for at least a month. Your faculty advisor is likely to be calling you or your parents soon to provide you with a progress update. How do you know you are on the right track? What you need are some steps for success!
Here are some things you can do to be successful in a distance-learning program:
• Do your schoolwork every day and complete assignments on or before the due date. That's easy, right? You can't get credit if you don't do the work, so make sure you keep up with your lesson plan calendar. If you feel you are falling behind, contact your faculty advisor right away. He is there to assist you and can give you some ideas to get you back on track.
• Take notes while you are reading and studying your lessons. Just because you are going to school online doesn't mean that you don't need paper and pencil. Jotting down notes is a great way to engage a different part of your brain and help you remember key concepts that you'll likely see on your next test or quiz. Be sure you review them before the assessment for better recall and better grades.
• Read and reread your lessons. It's important to review your lessons more than once. You can go back to your lessons as many times as you want. Pay special attention to the questions missed the first time so you have a better chance of giving the correct answer on your next test or quiz.
• Remember the alternate test or reassigned quiz policy. If you do earn a grade below 72%, you can ask your ASR or faculty advisor to reset one quiz per unit and ask to take the alternate test. Be careful when taking advantage of this second chance. Your second quiz grade is your final quiz grade. Your alternate test grade and your original test grade are averaged together for your overall unit test grade. Tests and quizzes are generally make up 30% of your total unit grade, so take them seriously.
• Complete at least one unit of work per month, per course. If you stick to this goal, you'll find all your work finished way before the term ends, and you'll even have time for a break before beginning a new year.
• Do your projects. Don't leave projects out there unfinished. Begin as soon as you see them come up in the unit, and don't procrastinate, or you are likely to forget about them. Be advised: some projects are required if you want course credit.
• Make a schedule for yourself. Grab some paper or pick out a fun notebook and make a schedule. Do the same courses in the same order at the same time everyday. Your brain will like the routine, and you can't get behind if you do that.
• Use Academic Support. Your teachers are there to help you so take advantage of the special academic support tools provided for you. Ask questions, utilize teacher chat if you are in SOO, and call the Academic Support line (877-543-0148) when you get stuck. ICA teachers love to answer student questions. Have a specific question or concept in mind when you call so teachers know where to begin helping you. No matter how much you plead, they can't help you take a test or quiz.
• Use the reference section of each unit. This is great resource you can use while working on each Switched-On® unit (usually at the bottom in SOO and the top in SOS). With complete vocabulary, review games, and other links or reference materials, have lots of effective tools to help you successfully complete each unit.
You'll find more useful Tools and Tips for Success in the Academy Resource Center.