So You've Enrolled with Smart Schools - Now What?

Enrolling with Smart Schools is a great decision if you are looking to continue your high school education online and at your own pace, and our mentors and instructors are here to help keep you on track and help you graduate. But there’s a few steps between applying and graduating - we are here to help you figure out what those steps are and ensure you feel supported as you go through the enrollment process.

All students have to start by filling out the enrollment form and paying their first month’s tuition or applying for financing. We intentionally keep tuition low and affordable so all students have the opportunity to graduate with their high school diplomas.

Once you’ve filled out your enrollment application, you will receive a call from a Smart Schools academic advisor. If you have completed your application during normal business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM Mountain Standard Time), you will receive a call within the hour. This call will help Smart Schools staff to identify what additional paperwork is needed to process your enrollment, and will help prospective students to understand how Smart Schools works and what their responsibility will be.

Once your paperwork is in order, you will be enrolled in your first class. This means you will be given login information to access the learning portal and you will have access to lessons. These lessons can be completed when it makes sense in your schedule. There are no required times you must log in, no sessions you are required to attend at a specific time.

For example, if you work a typical 9-5 job, it may make sense for you to carve out an hour at the beginning or end of your day to complete lessons and activities online. If you have kids, however, this might not be realistic. It might make more sense for you to complete lessons in the hours after your kids’ bed time. Regardless, figuring out a schedule that works for you is essential to finding success while learning online.

We’ve created blogs that address managing your time and setting up your learning space, so definitely invest some time and energy in setting yourself up for success. Our academic advisors suggest setting a goal to complete at least one class a month. This will ensure you are continuing to move toward graduation.

Great job making the first step toward earning your high school diploma! We are here to help!

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Make It Work With Workforce

At Smart Schools, we recognize that there is a lot that goes into earning your high school diploma. If it was as simple as showing up to school and completing the work, everyone would have their high school diploma. And yet, every year, more than 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States. Most often, this is because students lack the support - familial, financial, or academic - to make their way across that graduation stage.

“...Every year, more than 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States.”

This is why we encourage all Smart Schools students who qualify to apply for and participate in Workforce. Workforce is a social program that is intended to provide the support you need to graduate high school and find success in your endeavors after graduation. While this program does not exist internationally and may vary from U.S. state to state, there are frequently social supports available to help eligible students.

To Qualify

Within Arizona, students ages 16-24 can receive assistance in completing their high school diploma, while also receiving other occupational supports and training. Workforce can help students access paid work experience internships, a great way to get your foot in the door. Workforce can also help students receive employment services, assistance with transportation, basic needs, and post-secondary tuition - completely free of charge.

In Arizona, the program lasts two years and provides personalized support during that time, as well as an additional year of follow-up support. Each student receives a case manager who helps them create a College and Career Blueprint, which will ensure that students are taking the appropriate classes and steps to reach their dreams.

If you are not located in Arizona but are still in a US state, your state may have a similar program. We would suggest that you google your state’s name and “Workforce” to find out what supports may be available to you locally and the requirements involved. Oftentimes, there are many different supports available that go unused because students are not aware of them.

Accepting Help

Accepting help, especially from a social service, can be a challenge. Our society tends to look down on people who seek assistance, as there is a social stigma against “handouts.” But at the same time, we hold no such stigma against people getting a loan in order to buy a house. Children of wealthy parents have no shame about having their parents pay for their college tuition. And companies and non-profits regularly ask for donations without being looked down upon.

This is no different. Many of us were not born with wealthy parents who could provide our every need and want, and there is no shame in that. These social programs help to level the playing field and ensure that all students have a shot at succeeding.

Enrolling in Workforce

Enrolling in Workforce in the state of Arizona is something you can do online or in-person at The HUB, our central Phoenix location. If you live outside the state of Arizona, your state will likely have enrollment processes that are accessible online, as well, but your Smart Schools mentor is available to help you navigate the process if it is too complicated for you to do alone.

Don’t miss out on the supports available to help you succeed! Take advantage of programs that will help you get closer to your goals.

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Tips for Time Management

Learning online is no easy feat. Especially when you are used to the traditional classroom, where a teacher is standing over you, telling you what to do and when to do it, being fully in charge of your schedule and your learning can be daunting. But for many learners, it can also be empowering.

Gone are the days of pointless busywork. With Smart Schools, every piece of your learning is directly aligned to what you need to know to do well on the final exam and to be prepared for the world beyond the classroom. Once you learn how to keep yourself on track and manage your learning, you will find success with online learning.

Learn When You’re Best Suited For It

Figuring out when you are your most productive will ensure that you don’t waste countless hours trying to get through one lesson. For some people, they are most productive right after their morning coffee. They may find themselves flying through their work and checking off one thing after the other. If this is you, spend an hour or two completing lessons in the morning and you’ll save yourself hours of drudgery later on. But for night owls, they may find that dragging themselves out of bed early only leads to frustration. What should take five minutes may take an hour if you’re dragging your feet.

So figuring out when you perform best is crucial. Some people naturally know this about themselves, while others may need some help discovering their productivity peak. To figure out yours:

• Track your learning over a two-week period, including how much time you study, how many lessons you complete, and your performance on those lessons and quizzes. Be sure to mix up the time of day and week so you can have a few different data points to pull from.

• At the end of the two weeks, determine which hours of the day you completed the most lessons. Also, look at your overall performance during different hours of the day. When you are most productive may not be when you are most effective as a learner.

• Draw conclusions from that data and create a study plan. If you are most productive between 9 and 11 in the morning, try to schedule your study time then. If you are most effective in the evenings, you may want to save that time for your most difficult subject areas.

In this way, you can use your own data to determine when you are most productive and to create a study plan tailored to you and your individual learning strengths.

Ready, Set, Sprint!

Working for hours on end may work for some people, but many will find themselves burnt out at the end of lond study sessions. It doesn’t matter if you complete 15 lessons in a day if you don’t return to your studies for two weeks afterward. Ideally, you want to find a way to consistently complete lessons without burning yourself out on studying altogether.

Working in sprints is one way to ensure you’re effectively and efficiently studying for a set period of time, while also working in breaks to play games on your phone or watch your favorite TV shows. Basically, you will want to set a sprint time (even using a timer!) that will be a set period of heavy focus with minimal or no distractions, and once that time is up, stepping away and taking a legitimate brain break.

The Pomodoro Method is one such work hack - a Pomodoro (Italian for tomato) is typically a 20-minute block of dedicated work time, followed by a 5-minute break. This technique is used by workers across various fields, writers trying to get in solid writing or editing time, and also students. Don’t feel confined by the 20-and-5 structure though - you can use the information you learned in the previous step to determine what lengths of study time are most effective for you, as well.

Write Down Everything

Do you ever feel like you have so much to do that you get nothing done? This is a type of analysis paralysis that affects many people and is a phenomenon so common, it has been studied by researchers for quite a long time. It turns out that holding onto all of those items you have on your mental load actually takes up additional brain space you could be using to actually accomplish tasks.

That’s why we recommend a Closed Capture System (CCS) - basically, this is using whatever tools work best for you to capture every single item you have on your mental list. If you work best on paper, keep a notepad and pen with you wherever you go, and check off items as you go. Google Keep, your Apple Notes, or Evernote are good options for those that prefer a more digitized system.

Although less comprehensive, many people with ADHD have shared their methods for completing the daily tasks they often forget about on TikTok. One TikToker shared how she ties certain daily tasks (like locking her door) to others that provide a visual reminder (like putting on her watch) - so for example, she locks her door and then puts on her wristwatch. Then, if she has a mental lightning bolt throughout the day (“Did I lock the door?!”) she can look at her watch. If it’s on her wrist, that can help her confirm that she did, indeed, lock the door behind her earlier in the day.

This same method could be used for your studies - for example, you could wait to brush your teeth until after your studies are done for the day. That way, you don’t feel fully ready for the day until your studies have been completed.

Stop Multi-tasking!

Keep your eyes on the prize and your mind on your studies. By trying to do it all at once, you are actually making yourself less effective. We all know that texting and driving make us worse at both, so why do we assume we can complete our studies and watch TV (or text, or do other work)? While it can be a challenge to stay focused, avoiding multitasking will ensure that your time spent studying is as efficient and effective as possible.

Learning to manage your online learning time may not be the most fun thing you’ll do this week, but it may help you become a better student and actually finish your diploma faster. By following some of these simple tips, you can hack your brain and maximize the time you spend studying.

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50 Reasons Why Online School is Great

During the COVID19 pandemic, the majority of educational institutions (public, charter, and private schools) are closing their doors until we can ensure the safety of our children. Due to this, our children are falling behind in their studies. When a child is behind in their studies, there are only a handful of ways they can make up the time missed; after school program, summer school, online education, or be held back.

This article will highlight 50 reasons why you might want to consider enrolling your child into an online high school. Some of these reasons are serious, others light-hearted, but all are reasons why families love this way of learning.

Academic Reasons for Online High School or Middle School

• Students can learn at their own pace.

• They can study a wide variety of topics

• Student can dig deeper into a topic that interests them

• Learning can happen anytime, anywhere

• Student are able to discuss and explore thought and ideas without fear of ridicule

• When they are done with their course for the day, they’re done… not additional homework

• Students learn life skills - time manage, prioritizing, leadership, and more

• They can take as many breaks as they need

• Imagination is cultivated

• Work is real and done for mastery - not a grade

• Accommodation for different learning needs

• Student can learn in the ways they learn best

• Student learn to challenge assumptions and think for themselves

• Students are able to have their needs met - whatever they are

• Students are compared to other their age

• Things can be changed as needed tailoring to the specific individual 

• They won’t be left behind

• They won’t fall through the cracks

• They are able to work more effectively when the distraction of “school” is removed 

• Student teach ratio is extremely low

• Parents are able to enrich students strengths

• They are able to highlight areas of opportunity

• Ability to explore future career paths

• Average higher scores on standardized tests

Social and Emotional Reasons for Online High School or Middle School

• Less peer pressure to deal with 

• More playtime

• Varied opportunities from day today

• No bullying 

• Students grow to be independent thinkers

• Foster life long learning habits 

• Behavior problems are able to be dealt with quickly and consistently

• Students become empowered when their ideas are heard and validated 

• Stronger bond in the family

• Gives busy parents more chances to be influential in their kid’s lives 

• The lesson can be infused with family values and beliefs

• Allows parents to limit negative incidences on their children’s character

• Families can learn together - everywhere

Unexpected Reason to Online High Schools and Middle School

• Student are able to be healthier, eat better and exercise more

• Sick days can still be educational

• School can be outdoors

• Student are more confident

• Ability to travel during the off-season, which is great

• Student learn management skills

• Student are truly prepared for college

• Labels don’t matter, parents can meet the child where they are

Kids Reasons for Online High School or Middle School

• Their birthdays are holidays

• The student typically love listening to music while working

• Student don’t have to wait for others to get done before they can more more

• They don’t feel rushed when others are done and they aren’t

• Student can make their own schedule, learn at the time of day when they are most productive

Are you interested in learning more or better yet enroll your child into an online program? Contact Smart School today! Smart Schools is a fully accredited private school they specialize in online education. Experience our award-winning educational platform and see why parents and students love our online high school diploma program and online middle school. 

A High School Diploma vs GED and Why It Matters

Since the U.S. military developed the GED exam after WWII, there has been two options for people looking to finish high school or prove the equivalency of knowledge. That poses a major question, what is the difference between the two? Many people might think there is no difference and the two terms are synonymous. At first glance they may seem similar but passing the GED and earning a high school diploma are not really perceived to be the same. 

General Education Development (GED)  

The GED, General Educational Development, also known as General Education Diploma, was developed as to be a quick alternative for those without a high school diploma. Individuals will study and take a series of 4 tests to certify their aptitude, knowledge and skills. These 4 test include: 

Subject

Reasoning Through Language Arts

Mathematical Reasoning

Science

Social Studies

Time Allowed

150 minutes (including a break)

115 minutes

90 minutes

70 minutes

When passed, individuals will receive a certification verifying that the test taker (American or Canadian) has met high-school academic levels in the four subject areas.

High School Diploma 

To earn a high school diploma, a student typically must pass grade-level English, mathematics, social studies, science and other classes such as foreign language, music, etc. The number of credits students must successfully complete varies by state and district. In many states they require students to pass an end of course test or high school exit exam to earn their diploma. Once completed successfully, students will receive a diploma symbolizing they have earned the proper amount of credits and have passed the required state exams. 

Conclusion

Most people understand what a high school diploma is. Once the student has completed four years of study, they will receive a diploma declaring that they have successfully passed all the required classes and exams. 

A GED is much different. Depending on who you talk to, the GED means different things. Some say it means General Education Diploma or Graduate Equivalency Degree. Although the technical term and definition is General Education Development exam. 

As mentioned above, the GED is a series of tests used to show if you have attained a high school level of education or not. In order to take the GED, the individual must be at least 16 years old and cannot be enrolled in high school. That individual must take the actual GED exam at a physical, certified location. It cannot be taken online. 

The number of people earning their GED has declined significantly over the past couple of years. Studies show roughly 248,000 people took the exam last year. At least 86,000 successfully earned a GED according to preliminary data from GED testing services. That is far below previous year’s numbers: 800,000 test takers and nearly 560,000 GED recipients. 

This is where Smart Schools can help. Students can earn their high school diploma online from a fully accredited online high school program. Smart Schools is an excellent option for students who are leaving the traditional high school for whichever reason, as well as adults who want to complete their high school diploma. This is particularly true for students who are just a few credits from completing their diploma requirements. 

As discussed above, there are many advantages to earning your high school diploma. By completing the work to earn the diploma, students gain knowledge and a sense of achievement that cannot be provided by just taking an exam.