4 Steps to Find More Time for Your Online Classes
February 24, 2020 3:17pm
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with all the responsibilities and commitments you have on your plate? Between school, work, and family obligations, things can start to add up. And how you handle balancing those responsibilities can affect your performance in school. The good news is there are steps you can take to carve out dedicated time for studying and personal obligations so you can be more successful!
Step 1: Identify Your Obligated Time
For starters, you should access a time management worksheet like this one. By filling one out you can begin to identify your obligated time. Obligated time consists of time you have dedicated to responsibilities that have little or no flexibility. This can include time for work, sleep, meals, and commuting to and from school or work. Ask yourself what other commitments you have. If you go to church, take your kids to sports practice or games, this would also be filled in as obligated time.
Example (Click to enlarge):
Step 2: Identify Your Flexible Time
Now that you have filled in your obligated time, you can fill in spaces on the worksheet for more flexible, or fun, time. Here is where you can space out time for family and friends, hobbies, household chores, working out, or other activities you enjoy.
Example (Click to enlarge):
Step 3: Identify Room for Improvement
Now that you can see where all your time is going you can ask yourself if there is any time being used that might be taking away from your goals. Do you need to cut back on some of your obligations? Is there time you are spending on social media or watching TV that would be better spent working on coursework? This is an opportunity for you to see if you can redistribute your time so you can make the most of it.
Step 4: Identify time for studying
If you are enrolled in six-week online classes, the general rule of thumb is to allow 15 to 20 hours per week per course for studying and completing coursework. So when you are identifying study time, it’s wise to divide your time up in small and large increments. Don’t put all your study time on one day. Spread it out throughout the week so you aren’t overwhelmed. If you can access your course syllabus, try to schedule your study time around when assignments or projects are due. This way you are giving yourself plenty of time to prepare and aren’t scrambling last minute. You should also leave some white space on your time chart to allow yourself some wiggle room in the event something unexpected should arise during your week.
Example (Click to enlarge):
Now that you have identified where all your time is going and how it needs to be spent, it’s a good idea to evaluate if you have too many things going on. Can you ask for help on certain tasks? Can you carpool with another parent to get your kids to practice? Can your spouse or kids help with some of the household tasks a little more while you are going to school? Can you spend less time with friends until you are finished with your classes? Identify what resources you have that can help you redistribute your time. This will help you not only be less stressed out, it will also make more time so you can have a more enjoying and successful college experience!
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5 Tips for Managing Stress as an Online Student
5 Common Mistakes Online Learners Make and How to Avoid Them
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