REVIEW OF Ontario Virtual School BY student, ricky Randhawa

(5) Student Experience

I enjoyed the Ontario Virtual School. I took 2 courses during grade 12 here and I was working at the time. My final year was very stressful. Taking courses online helped a lot because I was able to work at my own pace. I took English online and I had a much better experience with OVS than I did with my high school. Since I was able to work on my own pace I was able to dedicate more time to specific things. I was able to work during winter and spring break, and really get a lot of things done. I highly recommend OVS to any seniors looking to ease their workload. This also provides the added benefit of having more time to participate in extracurricular activities.

(5) School Leadership

The teachers were highly educated, and I thought OVS was run great. I was recommended to the school by a friend. This was a decision I did not regret. I took english online and my teacher was much better than my in school teacher. She really helped me develop my writing skills. She also helped me work towards a really good grade. There were times when I struggled but she helped me improve my work throughout the term and I ended up with an A-.

(5) Teaching

Not one time did I feel pressure from the teachers at OVS. Both Mr. Lakhani, and Ms. Schmurdok were great. They let me work at my pace. This was a big deal for me because I had just started working at a new job. There was added pressure because it was my final year. The teachers were understanding of this, and it really helped. Both teachers were very helpful when it comes to responding to emails. They responded quickly to all my emails, and helped answer questions. My english teacher really helped me improve my overall writing, and she helped me obtain a great mark. I had a good experience, and I heard nothing but good things about the OVS and the staff.

(5) Academics

I thought the work was good. The course material is similar to that of a physical school. However, having the ability to work at your own pace, and from home is really beneficial. Since you're able to work at your own pace you don't feel overwhelmed. This experience really helped me later on in my academic career. I currently attend Ryerson University and throughout my years I have done some courses online. Since i was already familiar with the expectations of an online course this was an easy transition for me. Some people find online courses harder, but for me it was great. I recommend online courses with OVS for students who like to work diligently. The material I learned in OVS was useful in my first year at university, because all business students need to take math. Mr. Lakhani had prepared me really well for first year math courses.

(5) School Life

This is an online school so I wouldn't really have anything to show anyone. I don't think having a physical location is beneficial for OVS. I think OVS is moving in the right direction with their online classroom. Considering where technology is at today, online classrooms will become more and more common. In university I take about 2-3 courses online because it saves me time from commuting to downtown Toronto. Aside from the commute, its much easier for me to login and complete my work, and work at my own pace. I feel I learn better when I read something and teach it to myself, rather than attending a lecture with 100 students who are disengaged from the lesson. This was a good learning experience for me.

(5) Admissions

The admission process was very easy. I was referred by a friend and contacted Mr. Lakhani, who provided me with clear instructions for admission. My advice to someone applying for OVS would be to read up on some reviews and see if this is a good fit for them. If you like working at your own pace, and having a lot of flexibility with you academic, and personal schedule then OVS is for you. From what I remember the process didn't take too long. I had made up my mind about OVS and reach out to Mr. Lakhani. After we exchanged a few emails I had called him and decided I wanted to enrol. Within a day or two I was enrolled in my classes, and began doing my work.