Mikaela Manalo chose Ontario Virtual School because she had a busy schedule and needed a flexible way to continue her education. Online learning allowed her to “move at my own pace” and study in a way that worked best for her. After earning her OSSD with OVS, Mikaela is now going to study Psychology in the Philippines.
During her time with OVS, Mikaela completed three courses: ENG4U, ENG3U, and HSP3U.
OVS helped her prepare for life outside of high school by teaching her independence and self-discipline. Through online learning, she learned how to stay organized, meet deadlines, and motivate herself without constant supervision. OVS helped her build confidence in managing her own workload and balancing different responsibilities.
For students who are thinking about taking courses outside of day school, Mikaela’s advice is to stay organized and disciplined from the beginning. She encourages students to create a schedule, set realistic goals, and stay consistent with their work. She also reminds students not to procrastinate just because online courses can offer flexible deadlines. Mikaela encourages students to reach out to their teachers when they need help. As she shared, communication is very important in an online learning environment.
When compared to a traditional day school setting, Mikaela found OVS to be more flexible and manageable for her lifestyle. She explained that day school usually follows fixed schedules and classroom timelines. With OVS, she had more control over her pace, which helped her “take ownership of my education.”.
Written by: Yuxin Gao