"How's school/college going?"
"It's good I guess, it's more difficult than I thought it would be."
"Are you participating in class?"
"Well no."
"Why not?"
"It's awkward. I don't want to look stupid, there are upperclassmen in class, and I don't want to be 'that guy' who tries too hard or makes class take longer."

I've had this conversation in one form or another so often over the past few years with high school and college students alike. In order to fix this we need to answer one primary question:

What is the purpose of school?

If the purpose of school is to protect one's image or look "cool," then maybe you should consider not speaking up in class or perhaps consider the people you're trying to impress; if they don't think participating in class is cool, then those people aren't worth knowing anyway. Plus some of the most participatory kids ARE the "popular" kids.

However, if the purpose of school is to learn material and skills and improve yourself, participating in class is a no-brainer. If you DON'T participate in class, then sitting through a lesson is no different than watching a YouTube video. If students don't participate in class, then the teacher asking questions is no different than the Blues Clues/kids show pause after asking a question. You don't get to be corrected and explain WHY you were wrong.

If you're in college and you don't participate, you're essentially paying as much as $75,000/year for a TV you're going to watch on mute, or listen to at full volume and face the wall instead. If you don't ask questions, provide answers (even/especially if they're wrong), get to know your professor, etc. you're paying to watch a YouTube video (and sometimes a bad one at that), live in a crappy hotel, eat (usually) not so great food, and drink/party.  *Cue sarcasm* That doesn't seem like a waste of money at all... *End sarcasm*

It is more important than ever to participate in virtual school for a multitude of reasons.

1. It's awkward teaching to a computer monitor, and it's even worse when the computer monitor doesn't talk back... Teachers LOVE it when students participate in class, so if nothing else your teacher will appreciate you!
2. The easiest way for us to determine if students understand is to walk around the room and SEE who's having trouble and connect with students. Newsflash: we can't do that virtually. It's hard to get the feedback we'd usually rely on in-person while looking at a computer screen, so you need to participate so we can find out what you know and don't know.
3. Building a relationship with your teachers is crucial to success in school, especially when it comes time to ask for letters of recommendation. Make sure they remember and like you by participating constructively!

You're PAYING to attend college, so going to class is your choice, right? You're pretty smart, and your bed is so inviting (perhaps after a rough night or weekend 🍻), you'll just learn the material on your own. What could go wrong?

This is the worst slippery slope you can start to go down in college, and could lead to catastrophe (unreliability, poor work ethic, lack of motivation, bad grades, flunking out, and more). All it usually takes is this happening semi-successfully one time, and you're on the path to never attending a college class again.

You are PAYING to attend college, so NOT going to class is like burning money. You're pretty smart, but the material you're learning is usually painful to read about or confusing, and you'll often spend 2-3 times longer trying to teach yourself material you could've learned from an expert if you just WENT TO CLASS. That's also assuming that you're actually going to learn the material outside of class;  in our experience, that's just wishful thinking.

​Another important thing to remember is that just because a friend did/does it, doesn't mean it's right for YOU. Part of college is learning about how you best learn and work, and not just doing what everyone else is doing. If you're worried about being judged for going to class, those people are NOT your friends.

Here's the bottom line: in the BEST case scenario, you get to sleep in for a few hours or watch Netflix or play video games. The WORST case scenario is that you don't make up the work, you stop going to classes altogether (because why bother? No one is yelling at you and your parents don't know!), and you fail out of college.

For all of you distance/virtual learning students out there, this college tip is crucial for YOU! If you don't go to class, we can almost guarantee that you will NOT learn the material on your own. Not going to class might be salvageable in the short term for some classes, but for classes in which the material builds on itself (math processes, English reading, history chronology, science concepts, etc.) not going to class will likely be a total disaster.

Also going to class gets you awake, talking to/being around people, and (hopefully) thinking. If you struggle with motivation, depression, time management, or keeping a routine during distance learning then you MUST go to class. This is the first step on your way to college/life success: waking up for responsibilities.

We promise, this isn't a gimmick. We will literally send you a box jam-packed with resources to make distance learning just a little bit easier! And it's free.

Why?
We're glad you asked! If you didn't, you should say "Why?" now 😂, that way this conversation makes sense.

Simply: we want to help. We desperately want to make sure that students succeed during distance learning. We're teachers and saw how tough virtual school was on students, families, and whole school communities. We were raised to believe that if there's even a chance to do something right, we should take it.

We thought about all of the things that distance learning caused and made us think/feel, and we collected  posters, items, coupons, and more to make your life easier. We want to help, and this is how we can do it best. And it's all free!

Go to Survive.AytoZee.com and fill out the form to get your survival package! Obviously because they're free we only have a limited supply, so make sure you sign up today!

No one was prepared for 100% virtual learning, and we all know there are a lot of students (and parents for that matter) struggling,

HOWEVER...

This virtual learning is also the absolute best opportunity for students to see how they'll perform in college and life after school. It requires that students work hard, set their own schedules, remain organized, and work largely on their own to complete assignments. The problem is that school has largely not prepared students for this!

That's why we put together this easy-to-follow guide for students and parents to put families on the right track for complete or partial distance learning this school year.

1. Make a Schedule
2. Find a Good Spot
3. Avoid Distractions
4. Be Active & Analog (i.e. not digital)
5. Self-Evaluate

Each of these skills and sets of tips is just as applicable in college or at school when not in distance learning, but now is the perfect time to practice self-discipline and work on those skills.