There is a consistent trend that students notice in all areas of their academic careers: stress and time constraints. Online courses are no different; you will need to devote a designated amount of time to your academic efforts each day. Understandably, this may seem overwhelming and stressful to the typical student. Fortunately there are many strategies available to help maximize your work time without compromising your spare time. Here are a few suggestions for how to increase and maintain control of your time.

Daily To-Do Lists: Make a list of the tasks that you need to accomplish with an end date. Be sure to list in order of priority, and then check it off as you go.

Get Started: Bite the bullet and start your task(s); whether it’s homework, a project, a take-home test or a paper, you will alleviate a great deal of the anxiety associated with doing it. Even if you still have a long way to go, the project seems much more approachable once it is underway.

Make a Schedule. You will save both time and energy: Make a daily activity schedule and designate specific study times. Be realistic–even if you don’t always stick to the schedule you will become more aware of how you are dividing your time.

Avoid Self-Criticism: Being excessively hard on yourself when you have put work off only perpetuates the problem. Concentrate on what you can improve on next time. Keep in mind that low self-esteem is habitually associated with poor time management.

Find your motivation: We are motivated by the direct consequences of our choices, not by the long-range consequences. Determine what you most enjoy doing and schedule yourself to always study immediately before this activity.

Break it down: Break large projects down into smaller portions and then resolve to carve away at the project one step at a time. Remember that you don’t need to have the whole project rationalized just to start on it! By using this tactic you will avoid feeling overwhelmed and you can keep a schedule that is realistic.

It’s your time: Start a project and only work on it for a predetermined, limited amount of time (10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.). After this time has passed, you can examine your progress and make a decision either to continue working or to switch to a different task. This will help you to build momentum.

For more helpful tips, or to ask us questions, email us at learnmore@edudegreediectory.com