By Anaiya Patel and Srishti Sawant

“Tick-tick, tick-tick. . .” Whether or not you are the perfect virtual lab student, every IA freshman has experienced the never-ending wait for the clock to run out in the dead-silent 380s hubs. Now, the main reason people find themselves in virtual lab is simply since it’s self-paced. Students often prioritize their in-person classes and allow themselves to fall behind under the pretense of “I can always do it later.” However, this infamous phrase never fails to land students in virtual jail as they rush to gain back lost time.

But it is just as easy to climb out of a virtual jail as it is to fall in. Giselle Castaneda [11] recalls the first time she was in virtual lab,

“It felt intimidating, and it was difficult to get work done in class. But, I learned to manage my time as I was motivated to see my friends.”

The freedom that comes with virtual periods is no joke. With an entire hour to spare, kids can do anything from the ultimate lock-in to absolutely nothing (a well-deserved break). But this leisure time often presents the opportunity to start slipping up in virtual courses, which is exactly why the school encourages students to stay at least two weeks ahead. Daniela Esteva [11] shares,

“ I would leave stuff to the last minute, but I’ve started putting sticky notes on my computer for assignments — quizzes and all.”

No matter the class, whether it be “easy” or “excruciatingly grueling,” it’s important to remain vigilant, as a virtual course holds the same weight as any other class. Esteva [11] adds,

“A lot of people think it doesn’t matter, but [virtual] counts as a grade and contributes to your GPA.”

Every student at IA has taken a virtual class. Although everyone says they have time to work on their virtual coursework, more times than not, it catches up to them. All of a sudden, students are met with piles of work on top of their in-person classes.

The great thing about virtual classes is that you have access to all content in order to work ahead. Even just being ahead one day can make a difference. As senior Valeria Henz Baca [12], who has never stepped foot in virtual jail, says,

” I really make sure to stay on top of everything, especially since I have dance and do most of my other coursework at home.”

Being prepared in your virtual class allows you to be prepared in your in-person classes. Even just taking a quiz during your lunch period can help you not worry about virtual until the next due date rolls around. If you are really worried that you won’t have time to work on it during the week, it is best to get as much done during the weekend.

Help you help yourself. Completing one assignment a day allows you to not only manage your time, but also gives more time for important tests or quizzes coming up in in-person classes that do end up taking the full class period. As past virtual jail student Giselle Castaneda [11] says,

“Due to [virtual lab’s] lack of [palpable] pressure from teachers, I tend[ed] to focus on my other classes, leading me to end up in virtual lab . . . While trying to get out of virtual, I started two to three assignments a day and stayed more than two weeks ahead.”

While in-person classes feel more urgent, virtual courses carry the exact same credit, weight, and academic importance. Ultimately, staying ahead is the only thing standing between control over your schedule and staring at a clock in the 380s hubs.