The Ultimate Guide to Maximising Your Time When Studying Online

Online courses come with flexibility, which is a huge advantage, but it means you need to ensure you are making the most of your time. But how do you maximise your time when studying online? Finding the answer to this question can be challenging, especially if you have never studied online before. Luckily for you, that is where we come in! We are here with an ultimate guide to help you maximise your time when studying online, including guidance on creating the perfect study space and making the most of your resources.

Create a Realistic Schedule

First, you need to create a realistic study schedule that you can follow. Your schedule should take into account your commitments and how much time is needed to successfully complete your course. You can check with your course provider to see how many hours a week you need to set aside and time for additional reading.

When designing your schedule, consider the time of day you are most productive and whether you can use this as your study time. This might depend on your other commitments, but where possible, we recommend completing your studies when you are usually most productive. Make sure you are realistic about the time you have, your attention span, and that you allow some flexibility for regular breaks and if situations arise that prevent you from completing your studies.

Find the Perfect Study Space

To make the most out of your time, you need the perfect space where you can study. The study space you need will depend on where you prefer to study, but we do recommend a dedicated study space. This provides you with space to store your laptop, books, and other materials in one place, making it easier for you to sit down and study without interruptions or worrying about packing your materials away. A dedicated office might be best, or part of the dining table; whichever it is, make sure it works for you.

It’s also worth considering that the perfect study space doesn’t need to be in your home. You could work in a local library, coffee shop, or cafe if you prefer. A change of scenery can help increase productivity and reduce distractions, helping you to make the most out of your time.

Hone Your Time Management Skills

To make the most out of your time, you will want fantastic time management skills. Time management skills can be difficult to hone, especially if you have struggled with them in the past or have other commitments you need to juggle. We do have some tips that can help with your time management skills, including:

• Create a timetable for your study schedule with due dates and important tasks detailed
• Break larger tasks into smaller chunks, making them more manageable
• Focus on one task at a time, which can help increase productivity
• Prioritise tasks based on their due dates and importance
• Set realistic goals with time slots for each task

Build-in Regular Breaks

As part of your study schedule, we recommend building in regular breaks. These breaks can provide valuable time for you to rest and reset, helping to keep you motivated and productive. How you choose these breaks will depend on what works for you, but you can try methods like the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for 25 minutes before taking a 5-minute break.

Working in this way can help to improve your studying, as you are working on smaller and more manageable tasks. While you might want to work for longer, we do recommend taking breaks throughout the day. During these breaks, it is worth moving away from your desk to stretch your legs or complete other tasks around your home. Not only can these breaks help with productivity, but they can also prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. It is important that you take these breaks to protect your physical and mental health and prevent yourself from burning out.

Set Clear Goals

Clear goals can help to keep you focused while you are studying, ensuring you can maximise your time. The goals you set for yourself will vary depending on whether you are working through small tasks or completing assignments, but you should make sure they are realistic goals that you can work towards. When setting your goal, we recommend creating a reward too. This can help keep you motivated too, ensuring you are making the most out of your time. The rewards you create don’t need to be anything expensive; they could be anything from making your favourite meal to watching your favourite movie!

Use Online Discussions

Many online courses use discussion boards and forums as places for students to interact with one another. They are an excellent place to meet other students in your course, share ideas, and ask questions. You can build relationships on these discussion boards, which can help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Online discussions can be an excellent place to share resources, which can be helpful if you are returning to education after a break or are looking for additional guidance. Some course providers will have tutors on the discussion boards who can offer additional support too.

Take Advantage of Digital Tools

Online courses use digital tools and resources for your studies, and we recommend taking advantage of these to improve your studies and get the most out of your time. The tools and resources are usually available from the first day of your studies and can help you prepare for classes, deepen your knowledge, and complete assignments.

You can also incorporate digital tools that will help you stay organised and on track throughout your studies, like productivity apps that will help you see your due dates and track your progress. It’s also worth taking some time to organise coursework and its due dates at the start of your course, and look into note-taking apps that can help you get the most out of your time.

Find Your Course and Start Studying Online Today

By using our tips today, you can make the most out of your online course and ensure you complete your course and achieve your goals. When choosing an online course provider, we recommend checking out VU, who offer a huge range of courses to suit every need. Check out their courses to see what you can study online today.

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