How to Develop a Work/School Balance When Studying Online

Maybe for many years, you’ve wanted to start an online course and become better in your line of profession, but you never found the right time to do it. Maybe you tried finding time during your holidays and off-days, but something within you keeps telling you to do it some other time.

The time has come. You have now made up your mind. You have decided to undertake this noble course, and you need to complete it within the shortest time possible. Due to the pandemic, as many people are still on quarantine, online learning has gradually become more and more popular.

There is only one stumbling block on your way to academic excellence … you have a fulltime job!

Factually, you don’t have to quit your job to take an online course. However, you will need to devote about 9-10 hours a day for work and still find time for your course work. This is not a walk in the park.

So, how do you strike a balance between your duties at work and the demands of eLearning? Below are a few tips that might help you out. Read on!

Sharpen your time management skills.

Contrary to what most people believe, online school is not any different from regular school in terms of dedication. If you want to learn a certain craft and graduate, you need a particular number of classroom hours so that you can qualify for an exam.

On the other hand, you need to complete all your duties at work. This is something you cannot overlook unless you are willing to take unpaid leave or lose your daily hustle.

One of the best strategies to strike a balance between these two critical undertakings is to work on your time management skills.

If you are working for an 8-hour shift, for example, you can take a one-hour break after work, and then focus on your coursework for about three hours or so.

However, don’t forget that work without play can be toxic. Therefore, when you have a long work shift, focus on other things, such as spending time with your loved ones later on instead of diving into your computer for school.

If you want to understand your craft, don’t study when you are tired. Instead, reserve your coursework for when you have less intensive or shorter shifts at work.

Ask for help when necessary.

In case you have a big lecture coming up, and you cannot afford to miss it, don’t treat it as something that is of less importance at the moment. Consider requesting your boss for a flexible schedule or for some time off so that you can interact with your trainer, ask questions, and complete course-related tasks in a satisfactory manner. You won’t go gambling on the MLB without looking for expert advice on baseball online betting, right?

If you have young children and you have to juggle between school and work, ask your friends or family members that you trust to take care of them for you. If you embrace the culture of asking for help when necessary, you will stay mentally keen and effectively manage your workload. Ultimately, you will not risk losing your job and/or getting poor grades in your education.

Review your course syllabus as soon as you get it.

Don’t leave your course syllabus lying on your computer, and look at it when course work time comes. Review it as soon as you receive it. This way, you will be able to determine the deadlines of all your assignments, papers, and group projects so that you can know when you need to ask for some time off and when you have to ask for help.

When you stay ahead of the syllabus, you will not be forced to pull an all-nighter to complete a paper you didn’t have an idea about or burn the midnight oil to cram for an upcoming exam.

Get used to working on your mobile devices.

Online learning courses are highly optimized and can be accessed through mobile devices. Therefore, learn to work on your smartphone or tablet. This will allow you to complete tasks when on the go.

With your mobile phone, you can reply to your tutor’s email or submit a paper when taking lunch with your colleagues, or during your tea break. Also, you will find it easy to watch a training video when you complete a task at work, or as you focus on a less-intensive task.

Studying online gives you the flexibility of when to get work done. However, you need to have the right strategies in place so that your time and money cannot go down the drain. If you practice the above tips, you will find it easy to complete tasks at work and still manage all work-related tasks. Good luck!

This article has been submitted by a third party.

Featured Image: Nick Morrison, Unsplash.