Information Overload

By: Amanda G. 

Here’s a glimpse at what my first day of school looked like this year.

I overslept because I had just gotten home from a vacation the night before. So I had a mere 10 minutes to go before my dad needed to take me to school. I ate a measly breakfast consisting of toast and a glass of juice. I hurried to gather everything together in my backpack and ran out the door with my socks and shoes in hand.

At school, I was bombarded first by my math teacher. While I knew my schedule was incorrect, she insisted I was still in the right math class. I’d actually hoped to take Civics and Economics first period, but that was another scheduling dilemma in itself.

I hadn’t signed up for Civics online – I’d wanted to take it in the classroom with my friends - but that’s what I’d been placed into. I couldn’t fit the class anywhere else in my schedule so I ended my first day with a new online class, a mammoth amount of information from my teachers, and math homework. Lots of math homework.

By the end of the first week of school, my online class was switched to honors and I was  swamped  with homework – partially because I was also in my first AP class. Already struggling with the online aspect of my schedule, I felt I was getting behind before I’d even started. Overwhelmed didn’t begin to describe the level of my frame of mind. My problem wasn’t the course work though, I understood just fine.

Time management was what I needed. So I sat down with a few sheets of paper and drew up a draft of the next week. I made a list of all my goals and everything I’d have going on.  Making a plan had me half-way towards success because I didn’t feel nearly as lost as before. For the rest of that week I followed the schedule and found I’d budgeted my time very well. I even managed to give myself an evening off.

None of this made me a bad person, nor was I dumb not to have had a handle on things immediately. Being thrust into a new setting and being dumped with unexpected work will stress anybody out.  Sitting down and taking a deep breath will fix everything. Don’t be nervous about the amount of work you have; that will only slow you down. Relax, and power your way through it. Reaching the end is possible, and when you get there, it’s the best feeling you could ever ask for.

Stop, Take a Breath, Relax

By: Verda A.

You just remembered you have to finish a math project that’s due tomorrow. Speaking of homework, you have to finish that five page English essay on statistics due in two days. Come to think of it, you also have to finish reading chapter 12 in your AP US History book all while noting only the important information. Oh no, now your mom is asking you to take the dog out for a quick run! So much to do, so little time! How are you ever going to be able to finish all your work? Your head is spinning. Your heart rate is quickening. You feel yourself slowly falling…

STOP. TAKE A BREATH. RELAX. 

First figure out what's most important. Begin with assignments due tomorrow and then use any additional time to work on those due later in the week. Set the less pertinent assignments away out of sight. Now, approach each item of homework one at a time. Don’t attempt two different assignments at the same time. Doing so will cause you to mix up your thought process for each. Spend a reasonable amount of time working on this assignment—30 minutes to an hour. If you feel yourself losing your train of thought at any point, stop working on the assignment. Set it aside, take a breath, and relax your nerves. When your head is at ease again, take a go at the next assignment. You can come back to the first after spending some time with this one. Rotating assignments avoids running the risk of over-analyzing something. 

In between rotations, have some “me” time. Get a healthy snack to give you some energy (this means avoid junk food), or exercise for about half an hour to get the blood circulating into your brain. Then sit down and resume working. 

Like I said before, work on each assignment in half-hour increments because rotation is key. Every 30 minutes, get up and move around a little. Go get some water, go to the bathroom, walk around the house --the point is to rest your brain for 10 minutes while exercising to keep your blood flowing. Then, back to it!

Remember, whenever you feel yourself dazing off, stop and take a breath. Relaxation is your ointment to stress. 

You should be able to put in good time for each assignment if you stay clear of distractions. This means no computer or video play-time, no chatting or IMs, no cellphones, and no loud music (you can softly play music if it does not distract you from your work). 

And always remember this while working on a large amount of homework: it’s not the end of the world. It may be important, but try not to lose that all important perspective.

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger...

You can describe poverty. You can depict every physical aspect of it. You can talk about the filth, the hunger, and the social ostracism. But you can’t feel poverty unless you have lived through it. Dawn Loggins felt poverty as I am sure some of you have. She spent her childhood squatting in buildings that didn’t even have running water or electricity. Her parents were drug addicts and every few months, they would pick up Dawn and her siblings and force them to move to another “home.”

I first heard about Dawn at a summer enrichment program I’ve been attending this summer, Governor’s School East. Just last year, Dawn attended this same summer school in Raleigh. But while she was there, her life took a dramatic turn. She phoned home hoping to reach her parents but the phone line was disconnected. She later found out they had moved to Tennessee, leaving her homeless.

Dawn Loggins did not simply give up. In fact, she worked that much harder to keep her head above the water. During the school year, she adopted a grueling schedule. She would wake up at 5:20 a.m., travel to her high school, and work as a custodian. Following that, she would take vigorous classes, including AP U.S. History, AP Calculus, and Honors English. Following the dismissal bell, she would stay at school an additional two hours cleaning. At 2:00 a.m., she would finally blow out her candle after completing her homework.

Despite numerous financial and emotional hardships, Dawn Loggins was just offered a full ride to Harvard. Everything in her life tried to knock her down. But when she fell, she got right back up. And every time she got back up, she was stronger. She never allowed her circumstances or her negligent parents to define her. Dawn Loggins told WBTV, “If there is anybody at all who has a dream, then they can definitely make it happen. There are no excuses. It depends on you and no one else.” Regardless of the struggles you are facing, work hard academically and they will dissipate. Your education is your pathway to a better life. Take full advantage of that.

So as you start your NCVPS course this year, I ask that you make two pledges to yourself. First, promise yourself that you will work diligently right up until the moment you press submit the afternoon of your final exam. Don’t do it for your teachers or for your parents; do it for yourself. Second, dedicate yourself to following through on this endeavor. There will be those nights when it’s past midnight and you have been working on assignments for hours, but remind yourself that those are the moments that really make a difference. Those moments of unyielding ambition are the ones that craft your future and set you apart from other individuals. Dawn went from homeless to Harvard because she pursued her dream. Define the future that you want and strive to bring it to fruition. Good luck as you begin the 2012-2013 school year!

Thank You!

As peer tutors, you've done a lot of giving this year. Giving of your time, energy, brain power, and compassion. And now it's time for the PTC to give you something back. Take a look at the thank you your PTC leads have put together and know you are all appreciated!

Amy's Survival Guide to Summer School

Whether you’re an NCVPS savant or just beginning your online learning experience, summer courses require a different mindset. This is neither good nor bad – summer school simply involves a tailored plan of attack. Where a traditional NCVPS student usually has the benefit of a Distance Learning Advisor (DLA), summer ones don’t. Where a traditional NCVPS student has eighteen long weeks to work methodically through each class unit, summer ones don’t. You get the idea. Before I get too engrossed in sharing summer school tips, I’d like to praise the decision you’ve made. Devoting vacation time to additional education is proof enough of your determination and willingness to succeed. So give yourself a nice pat on the back, you’ll do just fine.

There’s a phrase we use pretty commonly around here and if you’re an NCVPS veteran, you probably know where this is going. Time management, time management, time management. If you can conquer procrastination and hone in on a scheduling system that works well for you, the rest will be easy. Understanding how to efficiently budget your time is even more important when taking a summer course and I encourage you to check out previous articles on this subject, including: http://ncvpspeertutor.blogspot.com/2012/05/excels-magic-word.html .

You may find that it’s necessary to split up your workload into two daily sessions – one in the morning, one in the evening. You may have a job that eats up most of your weekdays and need to reserve weekends for online time. Play around with your options and customize a schedule that you are satisfied with.

Summer is typically synonymous with holiday and you may be thinking I can do the AM/PM work session thing, but I have this beach trip in July and there is NO way I’m missing that. Don’t panic. Because the Internet has become such a valuable resource, most hotels, cruises, rental homes etc. have some sort of WIFI connection you can utilize. If you know for a fact that you won’t have any Internet connectivity on your trip, you have two options:

      1. Work ahead prior to leaving – which means you might have to sacrifice a little pre-vacay free time

Or

      2.  Write a list of every assignment you’ll be absent for along with directions. Complete the notes for each assignment before you leave. Then, once you arrive at your awesome destination, you can set aside a portion of every day to look at your notes and finish the designated assignments. For example, you may have to create a poster for Latin. The vocabulary and informational sites you’ll use are online, so print those out ahead of time. Bring paper and markers along and draw the poster throughout your trip. Take a photo so you can upload it once you’re home and voila, Latin project confecit (finished).

Managing your summer this way won’t kill you, I promise. You may not be in agreement with me at present, but an online course doesn’t have to destroy your summer plans. Doing well in that course should be your priority, but that doesn’t mean you eliminate fun. I myself had to bring my online AP English work with me to Charleston over spring break. While my brothers checked out a naval ship for the day, I sat in a nearby park with my notebook (naval ship explorations really aren’t my thing) and knocked out a paper.

So you get the importance of time management. But what happens when you’re stuck on a science problem and the answer seems permanently lost? When you sign up for an NCVPS class, you are automatically qualified to receive help from the Peer Tutoring Center (PTC). I cannot say enough great things about the PTC team!

You won’t have the advantage of a nice, long semester. You have summer break and that’s it. If you’re confused, finding a way to un-confuse yourself needs to happen quickly so that you can move on. The PTC will gladly answer questions on a wide range of topics. They will be an invaluable resource, let me assure you. Furthermore, emailing, texting, or calling your teacher will enable you to quickly solve any other problems you’re having.

I hope you’re digesting all that I’ve thrown at you – I know it’s a lot! Don’t let the prospect of summer classes intimidate you. If you know that you’ll be enrolled in NCVPS over the coming months, ask any and all questions that you have now! The PTC is still in action and ready to assist you. With some flexibility, NCVPS can complement your summer plans, not hinder them. Who knows, you may discover that you prefer writing a poem analysis poolside over sitting at your computer desk at home.

Crossing the Finish Line - A Note from the Editor

The distance between my high school diploma and I is shortening at an alarming speed – the end of my senior year is almost here. As I prepare to dive headfirst into the real world, I find myself in a suitably reflective mood. One realization I’ve had is that most of high school successes I’ve enjoyed have occurred, in part, because of the support team that has continuously lifted me up. I hope that all of our Tutor Talk readers know support teams like mine or are in the process of building them, because these relationships will protect your sanity, enhance your potential, and increase your perseverance. My team is comprised of family, youth group members, pastors, teachers, as well as an assembly of determined individuals who always inspire me. With this post I plan on giving you access to this last cluster – our unique Peer Tutoring Center (PTC) community – through celebrating all they’ve done and convincing you just how spectacular they are.

For you, the reader, understanding the talent and accessibility of those assisting you is crucial. Not only will you appreciate the time our tutors dedicate to you, you’ll see why they’re qualified to help.

I’ll start with the wide array of accomplishments our PTC family shared during the May synchronous meeting:

Peer Tutors of the Month for the 2011-2012 School year have been: Verda, Stephanie, Ivana, Geoffrey, Catherine, Ian, and Sandeep. Why did these students receive this honor? They strive for excellence, working as dedicated ambassadors for the PTC and giving that little bit extra.

Gregor placed second in a Spanish poetry competition – enhorabuena.

Salena has been invited to tour around the world with fellow band students and is also considering a summer leadership camp. Her summer is definitely looking like fun!

Jiavanna has officially enrolled at Elon University!

Alex was able to streamline our brand and create a unified look for the PTC. (This cool blog background we have? Thank Alex for that!)

Our fearless leaders, Mr. Langner and Mrs. Pullen, have experienced their share of success too – Mrs. Pullen’s made great progress with the NCVPS promotional blog and Mr. Langner just celebrated his 35^th wedding anniversary. 

Grace, Gregor, and Geoffrey were accepted into the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) – Grace into NCSSM Residential, Gregor and Geoffrey into NCSSM Online.

And here are the lessons our treasured team members have learned through their tutoring efforts:

We often reach obstacles in our lives that can permanently damage our motivation to prevail. When Jiavanna was faced with such a time, she courageously put the pieces back together and rose above hardship. She writes that, “I [she] developed even more compassion for everyone and those who struggle because you never know what someone’s going through that may inhibit them from doing well in school.”

Eric was fascinated by how shy those who need help can be, “Don’t be shy,” he says, “you can ask me about anything.” In fact, Eric has truly enjoyed the experience of helping others and putting them at ease.

Hailey had fun learning more about the NCVPS program and loved the satisfaction of new students asking when she’d next be free to help them again. The gratification that comes when a student specifically wants your help is really rewarding!

Salena liked developing her tutoring strengths and her personal teaching style.

Edward talked about responding to notifications of students requiring help and is proud of the hours he’s put in.

Geoffrey, too, learned a great deal, “…about volunteering…and the importance of it”. He described this experience as “a lot of fun”.

Ivana encountered a young lady in Blackboard IM who was planning on dropping out of high school. In sharing the challenges her sister faced after dropping out, Ivana persuaded this student to push through to the very end and stay in high school. Ivana even provided the girl with her cell phone number and they now talk almost every day. Way to go Ivana!

Mrs. Pullen sums up the PTC experience wonderfully, it’s, “...not just what you can do for somebody else, but how those people pour into you, too.” The peer tutors, advisors, leads – all are willing to invest in you. So celebrate with us as we end this 2011-2012 school year and consider making the PTC a part of your support group!

If you’re interested, contact Mrs. Pullen (crystal.pullen@ncpublicschools.org) or Mr. Langner (gary.langner@ncpublicschools.gov). If you’re a tutor with your own celebration feel free to tell us in the comment section below.

Excel's the Magic Word

By: Ivana F.

The secret to being a successful online student is a combination of time management and scheduling. I personally find it helpful to draw up a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel, in putting all of the assignments I have due in a given week and adjusting my school days to fit the demands of my extracurricular word.

I typically plan my time around events happening at church or school, taking into account any extra activities that may be occurring. I take the number of assignments due in a given week and divide it by five - because there are five days in every school week. But say that one week I have a band concert on Tuesday until nine p.m. It wouldn't be wise for me to schedule the same amount of assignments to do that day as I would on a day with no after school activities. Bearing that concert in mind, I can budget my time so that I have five assignments Monday, two assignments Tuesday, and four on every other day. I can easily see this plan and know that, as my personal schedule changes, I have complete flexibility in altering my school one, too.

Ivana's Personal Finance schedule for the week of March 19th is pictured here.

However, sticking to your schedule can be challenging. I suggest devoting an hour or so daily to sitting down away from your cell phone, logged out of Facebook or Twitter, and focusing completely on your class work. There is nothing worse than waiting until the last minute and scrambling to finish it all. Time management and discipline will always be essential to a successful online learning experience, but how you manipulate your learning style to incorporate them is up to you.