Although the transition to virtual schooling is still fairly new to De Soto High School students, most are getting the hang of the current education method and have been able to come up with their own strategies for success. 

For some students, keeping their routine consistent is the best way to maintain productivity. 

“[I] wake up at the same time every morning,” junior Egan Putman said. “That way it’s more like actual school in the sense that you have a set time to get things done.”

Getting a sufficient amount of sleep is also essential to keeping a regular routine.

“I would say to make sure that you get a good night sleep, just like you would normally for school, so that your sleep schedule stays normal and you actually have time to work on school during the day,” freshman Gloria Miles said.

While many teachers have been frequently communicating with their students virtually, some students feel that paying extra attention to online announcements is necessary. 

“Communicating with your teachers and checking your email is so important,” senior Maddie Beal said. “You never know when they might contact you in the middle of the week with a new assignment due date that you don’t want to miss out on.”

A common habit amongst students is making a daily schedule, which they believe can produce the best outcome of schoolwork completion. 

“Personally, I think the most important thing to do is to stay organized. Creating a calendar for all of your assignment due dates is very helpful,” junior Katelynn Ostronic said. “Also, creating your daily schedule is an easy way to manage your time better. This way you can break up your time needed for school work so you don’t have to spend all day doing it the day before it’s due.”

Some students have even begun using different programs and applications to help manage their week. 

“For those who are good at planning and organizing, I recommend the MyHomework app to put in due dates for classes,” senior Tiye’ Kindred said.

A lot of students differ on their opinions of the amount of work that should be completed each day. Junior Kyle Smith prefers to get things done quickly, so he can focus on other activities throughout the week. 

“I think it’s best to stay on top of your work and get it done early,” Smith said. “Then, you don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day.”

However, students like junior Kadey Waite feel that creating a balanced schoolwork schedule is the least strenuous option. 

“Try and schedule your week and only do a class or two each day so that you avoid overwhelming yourself,” Waite said. 

While creating an evenly distributed schedule may be important to some, it is crucial that students’ motivation remains high. 

“Pace yourself on your school work but don’t become lazy,” Kindred said. “You don’t want to lose motivation too early on.”

Overall, most students agree that waiting until the last minute to complete assigned work is not the best option for a successful virtual schooling experience. 

“Just do not wait until the last minute to do everything,” sophomore Grace Wright said. “Do a little bit each day and you can get things done a lot faster.”