Time Management

Time management is one of the most important skills a student can master, and it is particularly useful when you are taking online format classes because you are really the one in charge of managing your own time. One of the biggest mistakes a student can make is to misjudge the amount of time the work will take. In an online/on-campus class, there is no homework. What exists is simply work. Work consists of studying (reading, viewing videos, doing practice activities and practice quizzes, etc.) and turning in assignments (writing, tests, quizzes, discussion forums, etc.)

Experienced students suggest that you don't wait until the end of a week or until the day an assignment is due to do the work! Planning your life with the class activities in mind is the way to be sure to keep up and not be stressed at the end of a week!

Step 1: Look at the schedule of activities for the unit at hand.

• Reference the suggestion about how long each activity or unit will take you.

Step 2: Use any calendar tool that you feel works for you.

• If you are a paper person, get one of those big desk calendars or just print one from Word templates. If you like digital tools, Google has a great calendar feature. These are only suggestions, but you will need something! The Google calendar will synchronize with your cell phone, and reminders will be automatically sent.

Step 3: Review your weekly activities outside of class, then consider the work in this course.

• Find time in each day, every other day, or two days back to back (whatever works for you) to do the work for the unit at hand. Assign the activities to the empty time spaces in your week. If you are a parent with small children, you will need to have them occupied out of your learning space, so consider working when children are sleeping or are being cared for by others. This activity requires you to include your life, employment, and family activities on the same calendar as your class assignments. Be sure to include time in your calendar to read the written material in the course and to view the videos.

Step 4: Treat the activities as you would a face-to-face class meeting.

• Use the time slots that you have set aside for the activities you assigned to them and don't put things off.

Step 5: Build in a 15-minute block of time at the same time each day.