How to Manage Your Time Effectively For Distance Learning

Distance Education Online Articles : How to Manage Your Time Effectively For Distance Learning by Jullie Harvard

Many working adults go back for study by taking distance learning program while continue their working life. Sometime, balancing between work and study can be very stressful especially if they also have families to be taken care of. That's why many distance learners with working life failed to complete their distance learning program mainly because of unable to manage their time effectively to focus on both work and online study.

Although distance learning gives you the flexibility of planning your learning schedule at your own pace, you need to treat it seriously to manage it and allocate time to complete it. Here are some tips on how to manage your time effectively so that you have sufficient time for your online study:

1. Allocate At Least Two Hours Each Day for Online Study

Plan your study activities into your daily routine work. This is to keep you focus on what you need to learn. Many distance learners tend to forget about their online study when they are too busy with their work. Hence, you need to integrate your online study into your daily routine so that you won't forget about it. Try to schedule at least two hours daily just to focus on your study. Even though you do not need to attend classes in a distance learning program, you will still have to complete assignments and study at your own pace.

2. Effectively Use Your Free Time

One of the biggest advantages of distance learning is that you can login to online learning system of the school from any location as long as you have internet connection. Most of companies and cafes do offer broadband connection nowadays; you can utilize your leisure time such that lunch time and time waiting for customer after your working hour to login to the online learning system for study, download your assignments, search for information from internet or online library of the school & etc.

3. Print out Your Reading Materials

Unless you are making separate notes after reading the lectures from the computer, it's better to print out the reading materials so that you can make remarks by highlighting on the important points while readings. Don't expect to remember everything just by reading from the computer without making any note and you will waste a lot of time if you have to go back and reread the information again. In additional, you could bring along the print out materials and read it whenever you have time.

4. Put a Deadline on Every Assignment

Most of distance learning programs allow you to complete your assignments at your own pace, but it is important for you to stay on task and be productive. You should put a deadline on every assignment or course work and make sure you complete your task on time.

5. Reduce Other Optional Activities for More Times

You have only 24 hours a day. After deducting your sleeping time, working time and daily tasks, you may found hardship to allocate enough time for your study. Try to write down your weekly activities on a piece of paper, you may be surprised that you actually can get more time by just reducing some of optional activities such as movies, parties and other entertainment.

In Summary

Balancing between work and online study can be difficult and it is not easy to allocate enough time for your study, but with a little practice, you can become a great online student who can complete your distance learning program on time.

About the Author
Jullie Harvard is the author of http://www.studykiosk.com an online degree directory that lets you browse the online degrees offer by accredited online universities

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=675398