10 Time Management Ideas to Complete an Online Course

During the 21st century and COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for online learning and online courses has increased.

Yet, it is quite common that when someone starts an online course, it is almost impossible for them to balance their time while completing the class.

And when that person fails to manage their time efficiently, he or she may lag behind and struggle to complete their course or even end up losing interest.

Here are some time management tips:

1. Prioritize your course

Make your online class a professional priority. It is hard to focus and be consistent when it comes to online classes and courses, but you must designate a specific time out of your busy schedule to study.

Finding a partner in your course who can be your study buddy or at least hold you accountable could be very helpful as well.

2. Take the online course with a friend or colleague

Online courses are often a lonely experience, which might result in boredom and loss the initial interest.

You could find a friend or a family member who could accompany you in this online course to make it less lonely and more enjoyable.

This would help you complete your online course and to manage your time. Your friend or partner’s role would be more informal.

However, choosing a partner for your online class can be helpful.

3. Set aside an hour a day for your online coursework

If you have a tight schedule and cannot spare an hour on your online course, you could spare 15 minutes, four times a day.

You could also review all your lessons, readings, or discussions when you open up your computer in the morning. If you do that first thing in the morning, you will be done for the day.

4. Make a study plan for your online course

Making a fully-fledged study plan is a great time management idea. You could fix specific times to work on the online course during the week or devote extra time to your online course on weekends.

If you have a study partner or a study group, you could decide what days you will meet to have a group session or online discussion devoted to your online course.

5. Make a calendar or schedule for the online course

You must be well aware of your own schedule for the week. You might have a tight schedule for some weeks due to exams or assignments.

In other weeks, you might be free for the whole week. A method of time management is knowing which weeks look busy and planning to get your online job completed in advance to make up for your shortage of time for the period of those demanding weeks.

6. Block out distractions and reward yourself

A good time management tip is to try the Pomodoro Approach if you have concentration issues.

The tool builds on work sessions of 25 minutes, maximizing your time to concentrate on your online studies. The best method to implement this approach is:

• Set a 25-minute timer and work for the planned duration uninterrupted.
• Once that is over, take a 5-minute break and get some water, check your email addresses, or do something else.
• When four sessions have been completed, reward yourself with an extended, 15-minute break.

7. Explore ways of multitasking without having a cognitive overload

Do you try to maximize your time by multitasking? That can sometimes inhibit your retention.

It is essential to avoid cognitive conflict (e.g., reading while watching TV does not really help) or cognitive fatigue in multitasking (reading while on a Skype call, for example).

If your course has an e-portfolio of some kind, start working on it during Week 1.

You can work on your e-portfolio every week. You will not be panicked and overworked at the end if you finish small course sections every week, instead of building an e-portfolio at the last minute.

• Be mindful: Focus on your ongoing tasks and drive away distractions while working on your course. Concentrating on your course should allow you to complete the coursework better. Set deadlines to finish a task, e.g., Monday by 6 PM.
• Ask for assistance: Ask your partner, your peers in the course, and your online teacher for help if you are struggling or cannot comprehend parts of the course. Everyone is here to assist you, and it is important to speak up if you feel lost.

Apart from these ideas, educational institutions can also take certain steps to enhance the learning experience and ensure better course results.

Adding video transcriptions to the online class videos is one such step. Adding transcriptions can help students comprehend the subject and its concepts better.

If the online session videos are divided into smaller videos, which are then transcribed, these can help students focus better.

Studying from short transcribed videos can also be useful for students when they are revising or are facing a shortage of time.

The transcripts can be downloaded as a separate file by the students to revise and brush up on the course concepts later at their convenience.

Finally, transcripts are extremely helpful to those students who either have poor internet connection or face frequent power or internet outages.

GMR Transcription Services, Inc. provides high-quality video transcription, audio transcription, document transcription, and academic transcription services within a quick turnaround time.

Contact us to get high-quality academic and educational transcripts matching your course and business requirements.

Also Read: Why Print Dictionaries Are Far Better Than Their Online Counterparts