Staying Organized While Attending College Online

Many people choose to attend an online college specifically because they can work their classes, papers and exams in between their other obligations to family, work and other activities. While it may seem like a great idea at first, some online college students become overwhelmed when their schoolwork seems to eat up every minute of their free time. Since they can’t cut back hours at work, some people feel like they have to spend less time with family and friends in order to make it work.

Just because you’re completing your degree program online doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any time to yourself. With the right tools for staying on schedule, you should be able to keep up with your college life while still retaining your social life. Here are a few hints on how to stay organized while attending college online.

Create a Schedule – And Stick to It

Invest in a nice calendar that you can hang up in your bedroom or workspace. As soon as you begin an online class, use this calendar to mark any important dates during the course of your class, whether it’s exam dates or the day a paper is due. Glancing at this calendar once or twice a day will help you stay on track during the semester as you work towards completing your associate's or bachelor's degree.

You should also get a planner that you can use for all of your daily activities, such as work, meetings or family events. Keep track of all your commitments, then schedule in regular times during the week where you know you’ll be free to get your class work done. It’s a good idea to stick to a regular schedule so that you know you have enough time set aside every week and you don’t fall behind. For example, it may work best for you to work on assignments and watch lectures on Monday and Wednesday nights. Then, you use Saturday morning to catch up on reading. Don’t forget to set aside time for special projects or studying for tests.

This method should help you stay organized throughout the semester. Remember, even if you have all your assignments completed, you can use your designated class work times to start working ahead on a term paper or study some of the class material. Working consistently will prevent your work from getting back up, which will leave you overwhelmed and crunched for time. Staying on track can also help you decrease the number of student loans you need to take out since you'll complete your degree more quickly if you stick to your schedule.

Make Your Own Personal Workspace

You may be lucky enough to take your classes at home, but it might not be as easy as you think. It can be easy to get distracted by TV or housework when you should be studying. Create a designated work space in your home where you can study in peace and quiet. Let your family members know you need to be left alone during your set class work times in order to complete your assignments. It may be hard for them to leave you alone at first, but eventually they will see that you have more time and are less stressed when you know you are caught up on your class work. A designated workspace will also help you Stay Motivated while doing class work. Trying to work with the laptop in your bed, for example, might be difficult since it may make you sleepy.

Following these tips should help you succeed while completing your degree online. It will still be hard work, but the ability to make your class schedule flexible and complete your class work from home will make earning a degree much easier in the long run.