Scheduling Life Activity

Life happens...and for most of us it seems like it happens too quickly. One minute you are on top of things and the next minute you feel you are falling behind.

Getting a plan in place for study times before your course starts is key to successfully participating in your courses. "Plotting the Course" (below) is one tool to help you make a plan. It will help you take a look at when you work, play, study, and rest

To get started, download the Weekly Planner file. It's an Excel spreadsheet that helps you block study times that realistically fit your life schedule on a weekly basis.

The Goal: Find 30-minute blocks of time on a daily basis for study. This will solidify your commitment to dedicate sufficient time to your academic studies, while you also preserve time for other life priorities.

Guidelines to consider:

Online learning takes just as much time as traditional learning methods. You will have the same course requirements, so plan for time to read, reflect, engage colleagues in discussion, and complete assignments. You need to reserve time for study and manage that time carefully.

Calculate how much time you need for study each week based on how many credits you are taking. Remember, plan for 2-3 hours a week per credit hour you are enrolled for.

Dedicate a physical study space that helps you work efficiently. This space should signal to yourself and others that you can't be distracted. Your study space should have adequate lighting and controllable background noise. This helps you become alert and focused. And while you want easy access to learning materials (e.g., books, computer, and Internet), you want to avoid easy chairs and other distractions like televisions, video games, novels, and monthly bills.

Step 1: Open the Scheduling Life Template and make a copy. You'll see that it is an entire week laid out in 30-minute blocks of time. Cross out, with an X, blocks of time that can never be used for study (e.g., work hours, sleeping time, eating time, established family time)

Step 2: Mark with a slash [/] times that are inconvenient for study. These are times when you'll be too tired or you are usually interrupted. These times can become flexible or spontaneous blocks when you can accommodate last-minute schedule changes or opportunities when you can throw a bit more time toward reading, research, or working on a project. Do not include these times in your final estimate of your regular study time.

Step 3: Add the total number of hours each day that remain open (i.e., unmarked blocks). Add the daily totals to get your weekly total. This gives you the best estimate of time available for study in a typical week. You will need to capture approximately 7 hours per week for study per 3-credit course and 3 hours a week per 1-credit course. It is best to have a minimum of one 30-minute block every day.

Step 4: In your Weekly Planner spreadsheet, respond to the following:

List the times of day that seem to be best study blocks for you

Describe the kind of physical study space you will use

Add your daily study blocks to your personal calendar. You are ready to start!