Introduction
The internet has brought many changes to the education arena. There are many changes that have been seen with the introduction of online education. This new mode of learning is enhanced with the new roles that students have. There are many obligations that most online students that prohibit them from taking normal classes. Most online students are parents, or working. For this reason, they do not have time to focus on their studies. This means that they will have to balance between attending classes and their occupations. In order for online students to complete their online classes successfully, they should manage their time effectively. This paper will focus on the effective time management programs for online students (Simpson, 2013).
The student should organize their study space so that they are able to find a quiet place where they will be able to study. Online students should find time and space where they will study. This will build a routine that they will be compelled to follow. The students should choose a quiet place where they are able to study. It should be away from distractions like children and workmates. The place should be fully equipped with the materials that the student will be required to study. Some of the materials that should be included in the area of study include wireless access, notepads, pencils, iPads, and laptops/desktop computers. After the study space has been organized, it is important to schedule time for studying (Quinn et al., 2012).
Another issue is that online students should carve out the time they will study. Online students should find time that their schedules are not demanding. This will enable the students get time to study from their busy schedules. The good thing with online education programs is that the time to study is flexible and can be taken at any time. The students can manage their time with the flexibility of the program. The student should determine how they are motivated to concentrate. There are students who are known to wake up early in the morning while others are known to sleep late. This should be explored by the students. They should understand what they need in order to concentrate. The students should then dedicate to what they have started working. The student should ensure that they get weekly time that they study so that the course is completed. If they do not have weekly schedules, then the students will not be able to finish their studies on time.
The next step is to limit the distractions while studying. This is because time is limited and the little time that students get should be used optimally. The students will have to make the most out of the time that they have dedicated for studying. The study time should be made known to everyone so that they do not disturb the students while they are studying. All programs that might bring distractions like mobile phones, instant messaging programs, and telephone systems should be disabled so that the online student will have ample space to study (Xu, Du, & Fan, 2013).
Another strategy is having gadgets and programs that will aid in studying. This includes having mobile apps that will be used to study while on the move. There are learning apps that have been developed to help in saving time. With these mobile apps, students will be able to catch with the content and class discussions while they are free and far from their study rooms. This is another way of saving time. The students will make use of all the times they have to participate in discussions. The time that they would have used to discuss will be used to do other things that concern the class work. There are programs and applications that have been developed to aid students when they are studying for the online courses. These gadgets help students manage their time while they are studying.
Another strategy is that of doing class work when they are due. One of the time wasters is when the student is late. The time they would have used to study is used to strive to submit late assignments. This is wasted time as the student would have used this time to manage the areas they feel they have not understood. Students should ensure they have time for everything and should be discipline enough to follow this schedule. One way of saving time is by ensuring that work is done at the right time and when they have been scheduled to be done. This flow of activities will save on time during exam time. It is important to have a strategy where the student will have ample time to undertake revision of the exam.
There are class discussions that are done when the students finds time to participate. It is important to schedule time to participate in these discussions. With these discussions, if a student feels that there is content that the class is discussing that they are not aware of, they will ask. This will enable the student to be at par with the rest of the class. They will be able to participate in the discussion at specified times. Sometimes, the online class management programs will remind the students that they have not participated in a given program for a specified period of time. This is an important reminder that helps students that they are required to participate in the program. With time, students will develop a schedule about the time they are required to log into the account to check on the progress of the class. This is even enhanced with the fact that there are students who participate in online discussions but are of the normal programs. These students will help the online students keep at par with the lessons and the progress of learning.
Another strategy is for students to participate in a network. The network will be a check on the student when they have not their assignments. The network of friends will be keeping the students in check with their assignments and class participation. The network of friends should be both on their daily routines and also from the online class. The friends from the online class will be reminding the student of the assignments that the student has not submitted. They will also be keeping students reminded about deadline which are yet to come. Students will always be kept in check of what is to be done in their assignments. They will ensure that they do what the online students have suggested that they do. It is important to understand the requirements of the students and what needs to be done.
Conclusion
Time management is difficult for online students. This is because the students have no one to command them to submit their assignments or attend any class. With discipline and determination to succeed, the students can combine these two with the strategies that have been discussed ion this paper to manage their time well. There are also programs which have been developed to help students manage their time.
References
Quinn, D., Amer, Y., Lonie, A., Blackmore, K., Thompson, L., & Pettigrove, M. (2012). Leading change: Applying change management approaches to engage students in blended learning. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology,28(1), 16-29.
Simpson, O. (2013). Supporting students in online, open & distance learning. Routledge.
Xu, J., Du, J., & Fan, X. (2013). “Finding our time”: Predicting students' time management in online collaborative groupwork. Computers & Education, 69, 139-147.
