“Work smarter, not harder” is an adage you hear often in workplaces. A manager might hang it on a poster above their desk, or a colleague might mention it in passing as they see you struggle to finish a deadline. But the saying doesn’t solely apply to workplaces. It’s relevant to your studies, too.
Some people conflate tireless, long hours with effectiveness. However, overworking yourself is not the ideal way to see results. Instead, you want to aim for efficient, consistent and thoughtful practices.

We understand that it’s a tad early to be considering exam season. (You’re still getting over the transition back to school!). But crafting a long-term plan for your exam studies will ensure less hard work, less stress and – if all goes to plan – better results.

It’s that time of year for grade 12 students, the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) and Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) are accepting applications. Perhaps going to university or college has been something you’ve been waiting for since you started high school, or maybe you’re a mature student looking to get into a program you’ve considered for years.

“Critical thinking” is a term that turns up everywhere. On job listings for high-paying roles, you’ll often see a requirement that reads, “Must be able to think critically.” In university learning outcomes, you’ll often find “must apply critical thinking skills to x, y and z” as part of the curricula. Parents encourage you to “think critically” about the future. PSAs warn us to “think critically” about advertising and media. Countless online articles hawk quick-fix listicles like “10 easy steps to become a critical thinker.”

And, of course, you’ll find critical thinking front and centre in Ontario English courses. It even gets its own unit in Grade 12 U-level English.

Online learning is still in a relatively nascent stage, only gaining serious traction in the last decade (and skyrocketing in popularity over the last four years). Because of that fact, almost every student who walks through the digital doors at OES comes from a traditional brick-and-mortar school background.

These students spent their formative elementary or middle school years seated alongside peers in an educational facility. They learned at the same pace as other students. Perhaps they relied on a teacher to keep them on task. And they measured their days according to the ring of school bells – telling them when to start, when to break and when to conclude for the day. Then, they arrive at a quality Canadian online high school – and, suddenly, everything is different.

The first day of school has always solicited a mixture of excitement, nervousness and steely determination. That was true 100 years ago when kids rode the bright yellow school bus to their first day back. And it remains true in 2023, as more students return to their digital classrooms – comfortable in their own homes, but still sitting on the precipice of new scholastic challenges.

Whether you’re new to OES, or returning to the best Ontario online high school, you’ll want to show up for your first day prepared. Mentally, physically and logistically preparing for school can help you start on the right foot.

In this article, we’ve compiled a valuable checklist for students. Below, we’ve divided our list into four categories: administrative preparations, academic habits, supplies and personal well-being. If it helps, copy this checklist into the personal planner or notes app of your choosing so you can tick each box on completion.

The trees in High Park are starting to wear a few rust-coloured leaves. The occasional chilly evening forces us to reach into the back of our closet for a jacket. And whenever you turn on the radio, you’re hit with commercials for back-to-school savings. That’s right – it’s almost September again, the beginning of another traditional school year.

A school should be a community. It should be a place where students can go to feel empowered, intellectually stimulated and supported. It should be a place to share your hopes and aspirations for the future, and then see that future slowly come together as you progress through your studies. It should be a place to share knowledge (and a few jokes) with peers, receive sage advice from advisors, work through problems and develop solutions.

Every student thinks differently, learns differently and experiences their time at high school differently. Some students are happy to drive through high school in the leisurely right-hand lane, savouring every last day of their education, friend groups and semi-structured lives.

Others, meanwhile, are itching to get on with it. Armed with tenacity, eagerness and (some might say) impatience, these students want to fast-track their high school education to level up quicker, graduate quicker, and throw their university applications to the top of the pile.

There’s a common misconception among some students that high school is like a sports match; if you fail to score the first time around, there’s nothing you can do about it. This line of thinking runs contrary to the fundamental goal of education. The aim of a high school education isn’t to label you with a mark – it is to nurture you with the opportunities you require to retain information, hone essential skills and envision your personal success for the future.