Online Education: You Versus the Clock

Posted by Jen Zeman on January 30th, 2009

Time management is not as difficult as many people believe it to be. I admit not having children made prioritizing and managing time a little easier for me; however, those readers who have children can hopefully take some of this advice and tweak it to their specific needs.

When I attended UMUC for my online degree, I also worked full-time while taking three classes a semester. I knew I had a lunch hour, some evenings, a full weekend, and vacation days I could leverage in completing my school work. My employer offered flex time, so I also had off every other Friday which helped tremendously. If your employer doesn’t currently offer flex time, perhaps now would be the ideal time to propose it your boss. Before the start of each semester I would map out the major projects that were due and scheduled off accordingly. For example, if in mid-October a major paper was due, I would schedule a couple of days off a few weeks prior to allow me time to complete the paper, without stressing out. The less stress, the more successful you will be!

Before starting my classes I decided to come up with a game plan in order to quash my fears and guarantee my success. The game plan was simple: organized time management. Being organized is by far the number one way to guarantee success with an online college and to effectively manage your time. It is essential to devise a plan of how you will study and complete assignments. Here are the five tactics I used:

1. Plan your semester prior to the start of the semester. If you work full-time, schedule days off strategically so you can give yourself enough time to complete major class assignments/projects without scrambling at the last minute. This will alleviate a ton of stress.
2. Assign a separate binder for each class you take a semester. Print the syllabus and put it in the front of the binder. This eliminates confusion and a constant search for important documents. Even though all your required documents will be available to you online, having them at your fingertips makes life less stressful.
3. Assign a designated room in your home as your “school zone”. Make it a place where you can close a door and have privacy for studying and completing assignments.
4. In this room, hang a large white board on the wall. Use this to write down assignments and major projects for each class, along with corresponding due dates. It is a great feeling erasing completed projects off the board! This was a lifesaver for me.
5. Stick to your allotted school hours. If you plan on using Saturday morning for studying and school assignments, let everyone know not to bother you – you will be unavailable. Sit down and complete school work first before anything else! The laundry can wait! In fact, while in school, to make the most of time management, reschedule your household chores to make the most of your off time. For example, if you always do the laundry and grocery shopping Saturday morning, start doing one load of clothes a night Monday through Thursday and do the grocery shopping Friday evening.

Time management is crucial for success in an online college situation. Master it now for a stress-free college experience now through graduation!