Homeschooling 101: How I Stay on Track

There are many different methods students can use to help them stay on track during school. They may have a set schedule. Every student is different and they use methods that work for them. The methods I use to help me stay on track are: creating deadlines, setting schedules, focusing on my goals and dreams and inner motivation, and improvising when something doesn’t work out right. Some students may not use these methods, but here is what I do to stay on track during the year as I follow my goals and aspirations.

Create a schedule and deadline

The reason I think creating a deadline and schedule helps is because it will help you get your work done. Aren’t a deadline and a schedule the same thing? No, not at all. Here’s why.

Deadline Creating deadlines for my classes helps me stay on track because it allows me to get a certain amount of work done per day. As you know, I am homeschooled, and I can get work done on my own schedule. Even if I have to take more time on a certain subject or lesson, I am able to adjust my deadlines to be able to get work done when I need to. For example, in my World Geography class, I was able to complete the course in the middle of the second quarter. I was able to do this because to me, Geography was the easiest class that I had, so I used that to my advantage to finish early. I find that creating some sort of deadline for a class or project is important, but because I have the flexibility to move a deadline, a schedule might sometimes be more effective.

Schedule A schedule is not just a start time and an end time; it is also a way to tell yourself when to do one class and when to start the next. I use a schedule every day, and even though my schedule changes almost every day, I am still able to finish when I need to. I start at 9 o’clock in the morning and stop around 1 or 2 o’clock in the afternoon. The schedule is more than telling me when to go to school; it also tells me when to switch to a different class and when to take a break. When I am in school, I take a 5-minute break about every hour because it allows me to get up and stretch and helps me go back to school with a refreshed mind. Following my schedule allows me to be able to get my work done and have all my work turned in on time.

Have a dream and an ultimate goal

Everyone needs to have a dream and some sort of goal. My goal is to become an astronomer and work for NASA, and maybe even become an engineer for NASA as well. In order to do this, I want to graduate high school early so I can go to college sooner. This is my goal and dream because it is something I have wanted for as long as I can remember. When I was around 8 years old, I would read my outer space book until my head hurt from the information overload. I did this because I wanted to know what was beyond our atmosphere and what secrets hide in the darkness of space. When I get off track during school and miss certain deadlines, I remember what I want to do when I am older and I get right back to work. Even though this dream doesn’t keep me on track 100% of the time, it is still what motivates me to get my work done more quickly.

Be motivated

Motivation is something that encourages someone to get something done. For some, motivation might be a prize for getting a good grade; for others, it could be keeping out of trouble. No matter the circumstance, there is always something out there that is motivating fellow students. As for me, my motivation is my family and reaching a goal. I want to do well because it is the best for me, but at the same time, it makes my family proud of me. Aside from making my family proud, I want to reach my goals, and in order to make those goals come alive, I need to use them as motivation for getting my schoolwork done on time.

Leave room for improvising

Last, but not least, improvising is one of the main points that keeps me on track. When I get behind in a class, I need to find a way to get ahead in that class without getting behind in a different class. One way I improvise is by looking at a class that I am far ahead in and take some time off from that class. By doing so, I am able to focus more on the class I am behind in. Earlier in the school year, I was really behind in Algebra, until my mom and I came up with a way to help me get ahead, and because of that, I finished the school year early. I made cuts to certain classes until I was caught up to where I needed to be.

There are many, many methods for staying on track during school, and everyone may use a different one. As for me, I would create deadlines and schedules, follow my goals and dreams, use my inner motivation, and improvise to help me stay on track during school. Hopefully, one of these days I will become an astronomer for NASA, and I will have to thank the methods that I used to stay on track for achieving my dream.

How do you stay on track with your schoolwork?

This post was written by Bridgeway Student, Emily Jetter, in response to our 2016-17 Blogger Competition, as one of our top 5 blogger students. Thank you, Emily! We are proud of you and how you stay motivated to pursue your life goals.  Keep up the amazing work!