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Distance Learning -->
Distance Learning Student Blog
Avoiding the storm: tips for
successfully managing your time online.
At some point or another in our
lives as students we have experienced "the perfect storm".
You know, that time in the semester
when everything is due at once. Here are a few tidbits of advice to help
you weather your own storm.
Develop a calendar
It doesn't
matter if you are registered in one, or seven classes,
having the dates of papers, assignments and exams in one
easy to find location will help you quickly assess what's
coming your way. Think of it as your own personal weather
forecast. You don't have to run out and purchase a fancy
planner. If an electronic calendar is more up your alley,
Blackboard has one built right into the courses. You can
also access an online calendar through your school LCMail
account.
Personalize
Once you
have created a consolidated calendar, make it personal. If
you are planning an out of town trip, making plans for an
upcoming
holiday, going to a birthday party, or have a doctors
appointment, putting these events on the same calendar as
your school work will give you better idea of how to best
manage your time.
Prioritize
We are all
busy, and sometimes we can forget to complete one task
before moving onto the next. Your calendar can be used as a
tool to help you develop a prioritized list of items to
complete each week. Simply take a look at what is scheduled
for the upcoming week and make your list of "to do's" in
order of due date.
For example, you know you have a paper
due around the same time as an exam. You look at your
calendar and see the paper is due on Monday and the exam is
on Thursday. Using this information you decide to first
complete your paper, then study for your exam. This will
help you stay on top of everything and feel more in control
at particularly busy times such as mid-terms or finals.
Make time
for your online classroom
The beauty of Distance Learning is that
it allows you to access your class anytime and anywhere. To
someone first starting out in a Distance Learning class,
this may sound like classes are self-paced; they are not.
Many online instructors will give you an idea of when and
how often you should log in. Find a schedule that works for
you and it will be easy to stick with it.
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