What Online School Looks Like: A Student Day in the Life Q&A With Kylah 

See how and why online school works for Kylah in this Student Advisory Council blog series.

By: Kylah T., 10th grade student and SAC intern

K12 asked this year’s Student Advisory Council cohort what makes online school so great and here’s what our own Kylah had to say.

What do you like about online learning at Texas Online Preparatory School (TOPS)?

There are many things my family and I value about my K12-powered school. First, I love my teachers and value their expertise. Moreover, I enjoy the freedom and flexibility I have in my schedule, allowing me to go the gym in the early morning and help care for our ranch, as well as ride horses later in the day.

I also like the way the daily lessons are tailored and structured in the courses at TOPS. Online learning works for me because I am responsible and motivated to achieve high standards in my academics. I also work well in organized environments that have few distractions.

Why did you switch to online school?

I wanted a school where I could reach my full academic potential with good teachers, a school that would challenge me and grow with me. I also wanted a school community where I could be accepted as I was and not have to be the outlier or be forced to change to fit in.

What’s something you can do at TOPS that you couldn’t do in your old school?

It is hard to list all the things. For starters, TOPS allows me to have flexibility in my class and assignment schedule. In addition, I have access to many different course levels that might not be available otherwise. I have the ability to enroll in AP, honors, pre-AP, dual credit, workforce dual credit, and college and career preparation classes.

Can you describe a typical day and week for your virtual school experience?

Typically, every day starts at 5:15 AM when my family and I get up to go to the gym. After the gym, it is time to do the morning feeding for our horses, sheep, dogs, cats, and chickens. I sit down at my desk around 8 AM to start my day at school.

My days tend to vary after our morning routine because the rest of the day depends on the live classes I have scheduled. So, if it’s a Tuesday or Thursday, I have an 8:15 AM World History class. After that, I start on the daily lesson for chemistry. Then around 10 AM I get a snack and start my geometry lesson. After geometry, I start my English III lesson. After English III, I start my world history reading. Then I eat lunch and finish the world history lesson. Around 12:30 PM I start my reading and notes for my dual credit psychology. I finish around 3 PM depending on if I complete any additional discussions. At 2 PM I attend my Graphic Illustration class and then I’m done for the day.

On Fridays, my school has time to catch up on any work you may have missed. Sometimes I may have a world history or geometry lesson due that day. At 12:30 PM I attend my student advisory council meeting and then at 1:30 PM I finish working through my psychology assignments or notes and readings from that week.

I typically finish working around 3-4 PM every day. The first thing I like to do after school is complete the ranch chores such as help clean out the horses’ stalls and let out the sheep and chickens. After chores are done, I like to read outside in the hammocks. Then I like to help my mother cook dinner. My family and I eat together, then we do the nightly feeding of the animals. Then we all sit down to watch TV together. Finally, around 9 PM, I get ready to go to bed and start all over the next day.

What career pathway are you in? What classes are you taking right now?

I am in the digital media pathway and currently taking the Graphic Illustration I class. I take classes that work toward obtaining different types of Adobe certifications. My freshman year, I got my Adobe InDesign certification. This year, I attained an Adobe Illustrator certification. Next year, I will work toward another certification in the Animations I class.

This semester I’m also taking English III, Geometry, Chemistry, World History, PE, and Psychology. Psychology is a dual credit course where I’m earning high school and college credit at the same time.

My dual enrollment experience has been excellent. My counselor has been extremely helpful and supportive in the process of enrollment, and she continues to play an active role. In addition, my dual enrollment experience has given me the opportunity to complete college credits so that I can be ahead in college credit hours. It has also given me the ability to sample a college workload.

How do your teachers support you in online school?

My teachers are where my success starts at my K12-powered school. My teachers are all tremendously helpful, kind, knowledgeable, and understanding. 

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies include horseback riding (English and Western style riding), volleyball, photography, and fitness. I also like to read and spend time with my family in my free time. I love to read, and my online school inspired me to start reading again, because it gave me the flexibility to schedule reading my choice of novels and books into my week.

Do you feel that online school is helping you prepare for the future?

I would like to become an environmental engineer. Online school at TOPS is definitely helping me prepare for the future. I would like my next step to be college. I think that my school prepares me for that by helping me be more responsible and independent. I gain independence by creating my schedule and taking responsibility for my work and attendance to classes.

In addition, since TOPS provides me with the opportunity to participate in dual credit, I can get a glimpse of what a college workload may be like. Through career and college prep, my school offers certificate preparation and other opportunities through colleges throughout the year. For instance, I was informed about the opportunity to participate in a scholarship program to attend a certification camp for a couple days in the summer at Texas A&M.

Thank you, Kylah! To learn more about the K12 Student Advisory Council, visit their webpage, or see how your student can thrive in online school with K12-powered programs in Texas.

Kylah is a 2025 student at a K12-powered school in TX, and their statement reflects their experience at their school.

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