Time Management Strategies to Thrive Online
Update: As of December 2019, Jami Rush is Dr. Jami Rush upon completion of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program. Congratulations, Dr. Rush!
Online students have a lot on their plates. Many juggle work, family, and social lives on top of school work. 
Jami Rush knows the balancing act well. In addition to her role as Director of The 杏吧专区 Learning Center, Rush is pursuing her doctorate in while juggling roles as a wife and mom.
She offered some tips for staying on top of your studies this semester so you still have time for the 杏吧专区渆verything else.杏吧专区
Keep a calendar
It杏吧专区檚 something students hear over and over because it杏吧专区檚 vitally important to not only have a calendar but to make it part of a morning, afternoon, and nightly routine, says Rush.
Being in a hybrid program, Rush says it杏吧专区檚 wholly her and her cohorts responsibility to be proactive about research and assignments between face-to-face meetings.
杏吧专区淚f I didn杏吧专区檛 have my planner, well, I start to feel anxiety just thinking about not having it,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檝e made sure every week I have something that I杏吧专区檓 doing that杏吧专区檚 working towards whatever project or assignment that杏吧专区檚 going to be due at the end of the week or whenever we meet in person.杏吧专区
She encourages students to maintain their regular coursework schedule even if there杏吧专区檚 a holiday or other break.
杏吧专区淒on杏吧专区檛 use that as an opportunity to completely disengage from your schoolwork, keep your scheduled class days or lecture times in your calendar and follow through with that obligation,杏吧专区 she says.
Doing so will keep you on-task and allow you to see where you can enjoy down-time without falling behind.
杏吧专区淜now it杏吧专区檚 OK every once in a while to say, 杏吧专区極K, I need to have fun,杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿 Rush says. 杏吧专区淵ou need to have that balance where you杏吧专区檙e not stressed all the time.杏吧专区
As a working nurse practitioner, Dr. Samantha Lilley says setting a schedule was key for her academic success and maintaining a work-life balance as she completed both her Master of Science in Nursing online and her Doctor of Nursing Practice online at the 杏吧专区.
杏吧专区淚 didn杏吧专区檛 just hope I had time to spend with my daughter or hope we had time for a date night,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淲e planned for park days, we planned for family time. If I wouldn杏吧专区檛 have, I don杏吧专区檛 know if it would have ever happened.杏吧专区
Track your progress
It杏吧专区檚 important to remember that you are responsible for your education and progress, and it杏吧专区檚 incumbent upon you to know how you杏吧专区檙e doing in a given course.
Rush recommends keeping track of all the feedback you杏吧专区檙e given in order to keep a running tally and prepare for future exams and projects.
杏吧专区淭here杏吧专区檚 a wonderful sense of relief when you calculate your grades and you see you need to make a 39-F on the final exam and you can still finish with an A,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淥n the flip-side, you do your averaging and see, 杏吧专区榦h, I need to make a 76-C if I want to finish with a B or an A.杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿
Knowing where you stand allows you to stay focused and know when you need to reach out for help by connecting with other students or taking advantage of tools like NetTutor to meet your ultimate academic goals.
杏吧专区淭here杏吧专区檚 no guarantee you杏吧专区檒l be told how you杏吧专区檙e doing. It杏吧专区檚 on you,杏吧专区 says Rush. 杏吧专区淣obody wants you to fail, but you need to make sure you take control.
杏吧专区溞影勺ㄇ鴺How am I doing?杏吧专区 is an absolutely OK question to ask.杏吧专区
Give yourself breaks
Using the Pomodoro Method, or something similar, dedicate yourself to a set block of time to work before taking a break to shop for gifts or scroll Instagram.
Rush says she learned about this technique during a lunch-and-learn held by the Grad School (Facebook link) and it杏吧专区檚 been a 杏吧专区済amechanger杏吧专区 for getting things done.
It works like this: set a timer for 25 minutes of work, take a 3-5 minute break, and then repeat. After four work sessions, take a 15-30 minute break, which Rush says 杏吧专区渇eels like Christmas.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淎nybody can focus on a task for 25 minutes, whether it杏吧专区檚 read for 25 minutes or write for 25 minutes or study or create your flashcards 杏吧专区 or whatever it is,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淔or four rounds of 25 minutes, you杏吧专区檙e looking at a little less than two hours, and there杏吧专区檚 so much accomplished because you杏吧专区檙e not distracted during that 25 minutes going to different things. It杏吧专区檚 a wonderful technique.杏吧专区
Several apps and websites are available to help implement this technique. Some even offer additional settings to block certain websites (think Amazon, Facebook, etc.) during that time or shut down other functions completely to limit distractions.
Build a support system
A semester is 15 weeks not forever, Rush says, and it杏吧专区檚 crucial to find people who understand that.
杏吧专区淒uring this 15-week period, I杏吧专区檓 going to probably say no to you because I have something else that cannot wait,杏吧专区 she says.
As an online student, those boundaries are especially important.
杏吧专区淚f you were on campus and going to class, would you consistently be asked to skip class to go to work? Would you consistently be asked to skip class to hang out with your partner or to start dinner early?杏吧专区 Rush asks. 杏吧专区淲hat would be the reasonable expectations of you if you were on campus? If you set those expectations early and maintain those expectations, it will become a habit for you and the people in your life so you can easily manage your time.杏吧专区
She also suggests finding an accountability partner.
杏吧专区淪omebody who shares a common goal, whether it杏吧专区檚 passing the same class you杏吧专区檙e both in or someone who started with you in the same semester, somebody you can encourage to keep up with their work and somebody to challenge you,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淵ou work together in that regard.杏吧专区
If you want to learn more about the resources the 杏吧专区 provides to support online students, keep reading with, 杏吧专区Take Advantage of These Resources.杏吧专区&苍产蝉辫;
