Student Stories

We recently connected with Laurel Springs junior, athlete, and student blogger, Connor Couture. Connor talked to us about his busy school schedule, his interests in various extracurricular activities, and his tips for succeeding in an online school community.

Balancing a Busy Schedule

Connor starts out his day by completing his school assignments; then he moves onto practicing violin for thirty minutes, and piano lessons for one hour. “On certain days of the week, I also practice golf for at least one to two hours. On Wednesdays, I have a piano lesson in the early afternoon, and on Friday mornings, I have a lesson with my violin teacher. My weekly basketball league meets for practice on Sunday afternoons.”

On top of juggling school, music, and sports, Connor is very active with Laurel Springs clubs. “I participate in the Creative Computing Club, Creative Writing/Photography Club, and I am part of the Student Blogger Program. I also volunteer regularly at various programs at the library, and I am the teen leader for the robotics project at the local 4H chapter.” Connor appreciates the flexibility that online school gives him, which allows him to fill his schedule with the things he is passionate about.

Tips for Success

Connor is not new to online school, having tried out a few others before enrolling at Laurel Springs. “My favorite part about being enrolled at Laurel Springs is that there is a wide variety of courses, many of them are UC and NCAA approved. My favorite courses are AP Chemistry, and AP Computer Science; I plan on continuing to study both courses in my senior year.”

Connor offered some tips for students who are thinking about transferring to an online school environment. “The number one most crucial part of being an online student is to have good time management, and not to procrastinate,” says Connor. “Time management is key; it is important to always prioritize your school work over everything else, otherwise you can easily fall behind.”

Another observation Connor has made throughout his experiences is that online school students must be motivated. “I believe what most people don’t understand is how much self-motivation you need, and how much time management is necessary. Unlike a traditional school, you aren’t on a set schedule so you must schedule your time carefully or you will fall behind on your school work.”

Student Blogger

As a member of our Student Blogger Program, Connor is excited to share his passion for music with our school community. Here is an excerpt from his most recent blog posted titled, “The Importance of Music.” “One big part of becoming a lifelong player of the arts is to become exposed and to fall in love with it. I happened to be lucky enough to be born into a family where my mother was an avid player of the piano. I still remember when I was little and my mom played the piano. That not only got me exposed to the piano, but it also let me grow a passion for music.” To read more from Connor’s post, visit our school blog.