Jeremy Kaplan
One of the biggest challenges you will face as you pursue an online degree is the nature of the course itself. Online programs are designed to be very flexible because they are meant to allow students to pursue a degree while living an active life. The programs are also designed to allow professionals, stay-at-home moms, and even business owners or those serving in the military to still have the ability to pursue a degree they want.
That extra flexibility needs to be approached correctly in order for the course to be effective. You have complete control over how you want to complete the course – including the number of classes you take each semester. Before you start, here are some important preparations you need to make.
Tools for the Job
Before we start talking about time management and course requirements, it is essential that you prepare the right tools and gadgets for the course. You will need to access the online learning platform frequently, so a computer and a working internet connection are among the essentials to prepare. A good laptop and a data plan that allows tethering from your smartphone are great options to look into.
Some courses require you to have other specific tools. Let’s say you are studying for an online master of music in music education degree; you will need to have the right instruments, a metronome and other tools for the course. The online MMME program from universities such as Rutgers Online may also have other required tools you need to prepare to complete the course.
Allocating Time for the Course
I always advise future students to allocate at least an hour every day for studying. Even when you have a packed schedule every day, you should be able to allocate at least an hour at the end of it to study. You can choose to skip weekends or double down on Saturdays and Sundays in order to be able to take more classes.
Some online courses still require you to attend at least one class – or one class every semester – as a requirement. This means you also need to set aside a couple of days at the beginning of every term to attend the offline class. Other courses, such as the online MMME program we talked about earlier, are 100% online, giving you one less thing to worry about.
Reward Milestones
Having everything arranged properly is just the start. The real challenge is sticking to that schedule to complete the course on time. There will be plenty of distractions along the way, too. A good system to implement is to reward yourself for small milestones.
Make a promise to yourself that you will take that trip to the beach if you can stick to your study schedule for the entire month. Don’t forget to set mid- and long-term goals, and then add rewards for achieving them. Do this at the beginning of the course and you will have no trouble at all staying motivated and completing the program.
