Time Management Strategies to Thrive Online
Update: As of December 2019, Jami Rush is Dr. Jami Rush upon completion of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program. Congratulations, Dr. Rush!
Online students have a lot on their plates. Many juggle work, family, and social lives on top of school work.
Jami Rush knows the balancing act well. In addition to her role as Director of The University of Louisiana at 69传媒 Learning Center, Rush is pursuing her doctorate in while juggling roles as a wife and mom.
She offered some tips for staying on top of your studies this semester so you still have time for the 鈥渆verything else.鈥
Keep a calendar
It鈥檚 something students hear over and over because it鈥檚 vitally important to not only have a calendar but to make it part of a morning, afternoon, and nightly routine, says Rush.
Being in a hybrid program, Rush says it鈥檚 wholly her and her cohorts responsibility to be proactive about research and assignments between face-to-face meetings.
鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 have my planner, well, I start to feel anxiety just thinking about not having it,鈥 she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e made sure every week I have something that I鈥檓 doing that鈥檚 working towards whatever project or assignment that鈥檚 going to be due at the end of the week or whenever we meet in person.鈥
She encourages students to maintain their regular coursework schedule even if there鈥檚 a holiday or other break.
鈥淒on鈥檛 use that as an opportunity to completely disengage from your schoolwork, keep your scheduled class days or lecture times in your calendar and follow through with that obligation,鈥 she says.
Doing so will keep you on-task and allow you to see where you can enjoy down-time without falling behind.
鈥淜now it鈥檚 OK every once in a while to say, 鈥極K, I need to have fun,鈥欌 Rush says. 鈥淵ou need to have that balance where you鈥檙e not stressed all the time.鈥
As a working nurse practitioner, Dr. Samantha Lilley says setting a schedule was key for her academic success and maintaining a work-life balance as she completed both her Master of Science in Nursing online and her Doctor of Nursing Practice online at the University of Louisiana at 69传媒.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 just hope I had time to spend with my daughter or hope we had time for a date night,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e planned for park days, we planned for family time. If I wouldn鈥檛 have, I don鈥檛 know if it would have ever happened.鈥
Track your progress
It鈥檚 important to remember that you are responsible for your education and progress, and it鈥檚 incumbent upon you to know how you鈥檙e doing in a given course.
Rush recommends keeping track of all the feedback you鈥檙e given in order to keep a running tally and prepare for future exams and projects.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a wonderful sense of relief when you calculate your grades and you see you need to make a 39-F on the final exam and you can still finish with an A,鈥 she says. 鈥淥n the flip-side, you do your averaging and see, 鈥榦h, I need to make a 76-C if I want to finish with a B or an A.鈥欌
Knowing where you stand allows you to stay focused and know when you need to reach out for help by connecting with other students or taking advantage of tools like NetTutor to meet your ultimate academic goals.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no guarantee you鈥檒l be told how you鈥檙e doing. It鈥檚 on you,鈥 says Rush. 鈥淣obody wants you to fail, but you need to make sure you take control.
鈥溾楬ow am I doing?鈥 is an absolutely OK question to ask.鈥
Give yourself breaks
Using the Pomodoro Method, or something similar, dedicate yourself to a set block of time to work before taking a break to shop for gifts or scroll Instagram.
Rush says she learned about this technique during a lunch-and-learn held by the Grad School (Facebook link) and it鈥檚 been a 鈥済amechanger鈥 for getting things done.
It works like this: set a timer for 25 minutes of work, take a 3-5 minute break, and then repeat. After four work sessions, take a 15-30 minute break, which Rush says 鈥渇eels like Christmas.鈥
鈥淎nybody can focus on a task for 25 minutes, whether it鈥檚 read for 25 minutes or write for 25 minutes or study or create your flashcards 鈥 or whatever it is,鈥 she says. 鈥淔or four rounds of 25 minutes, you鈥檙e looking at a little less than two hours, and there鈥檚 so much accomplished because you鈥檙e not distracted during that 25 minutes going to different things. It鈥檚 a wonderful technique.鈥
Several apps and websites are available to help implement this technique. Some even offer additional settings to block certain websites (think Amazon, Facebook, etc.) during that time or shut down other functions completely to limit distractions.
Build a support system
A semester is 15 weeks not forever, Rush says, and it鈥檚 crucial to find people who understand that.
鈥淒uring this 15-week period, I鈥檓 going to probably say no to you because I have something else that cannot wait,鈥 she says.
As an online student, those boundaries are especially important.
鈥淚f you were on campus and going to class, would you consistently be asked to skip class to go to work? Would you consistently be asked to skip class to hang out with your partner or to start dinner early?鈥 Rush asks. 鈥淲hat would be the reasonable expectations of you if you were on campus? If you set those expectations early and maintain those expectations, it will become a habit for you and the people in your life so you can easily manage your time.鈥
She also suggests finding an accountability partner.
鈥淪omebody who shares a common goal, whether it鈥檚 passing the same class you鈥檙e both in or someone who started with you in the same semester, somebody you can encourage to keep up with their work and somebody to challenge you,鈥 she says. 鈥淵ou work together in that regard.鈥
If you want to learn more about the resources the University of Louisiana at 69传媒 provides to support online students, keep reading with, 鈥Take Advantage of These Resources.鈥&苍产蝉辫;