Helpful Tips for Starting Second Semester Strong

Looking for ways to make a great start on a new year and a new semester after winter break? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve collected the best tips from previous years to help you start strong!

Whether you’re a new student transferring schools midyear, a longtime student setting goals for the academic calendar, or an experienced Learning Coach fine-tuning your routines, below you’ll find practical tips geared specifically to our online community.

But don’t get overwhelmed! Just choose one area where you or your child needs help or inspiration, and then dive in. You can always come back when you’re ready for more.

Get Inspired

From buying a new calendar to cleaning closets, almost everyone has their own ritual for starting a new year or a new project. But if you’re looking for an additional inspirational boost for the academic year, we suggest you:

• Get inspired with quotations from some of our greatest thinkers in this A–Z infographic.
• Start the new year with a new journal. Filling those blank pages provides opportunities to reflect on past accomplishments, put perceived failures into perspective, and dream of what lies ahead.
• Celebrate individual strengths as you explore your (or your child’s) personal learning style.

Set New Goals

“It’s only a dream until you write it down, and then it becomes a goal.”

That’s one of our favorite quotes from last year’s posts because it reminds us that it takes more than wishing to make dreams come true. It takes a plan. Learning Coaches and students can learn from checking out the posts below for step-by-step guidance on setting realistic goals and taking practical steps to achieve them after winter break.

• Take an inventory of your current interests.
• Explore new interests, such as learning a foreign language, joining an online club, or establishing a family fitness routine.
• Narrow down your goals and establish deadlines.
• Develop the resolve and personal grit to meet those goals.

Get Organized

Tell the truth: by the end of last semester, did your desk or work area look as though it had been hit by a tsunami? Did your schedule seem out of control? Not to worry. The new semester is prime time for getting organized. Just follow these tips if you want to conquer your messy desk, make better use of your time, and reduce your stress.

• Reorganize your work area for maximum utility using our At-Home Learning Space Design infographic.
• Organize your computer files in three easy steps, and then keep your PC running smoothly with our computer maintenance checklist.
• Create a new schedule for the upcoming semester, taking into consideration what worked or didn’t work last term and what lies ahead this term.
• Learn five simple steps for managing your time more effectively, or download our keyboard shortcuts to get around your computer more quickly.
• If you’re a new Learning Coach, you’ll also want to check out these organizational tips written just for you!

Get Support and Stay Motivated

Learning Coaches, now that you’ve been inspired, set new goals, and tidied up your desk for the next semester, how do you stay on track and help keep your family motivated? It’s easier than you think when you’re part of the supportive Connections Academy community. Here you can:

• Review the skills (or qualities) that make Learning Coaches successful.
• Remind yourself why you chose a virtual school, and celebrate the unique relationship between students and their Learning Coaches.
• Get advice from experienced Learning Coaches.
• Get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about virtual schooling.
• Learn how to communicate effectively with virtual school teachers.
• Practice our nine-step plan to keep students motivated.

To learn how you can be more involved in your children’s education, visit the website for Connections Academy online public school. Or to learn about online private school, visit International Connections Academy’s website.