Preparing For An Online Graduate Program: Helpful Hints and Guidance Time Management Preparing For An Online Graduate Program: Helpful Hints and Guidance

Time Management Self Assessment Do you make lists to help organize things that need to be completed? Do you procrastinate when faced with tasks? Do you make use of small blocks of time? Do I use my time wisely? Do you prioritize tasks that need to be completed? What motivates you to complete a task? Do plan how you will reach your goals? Do you have balance in your life? http://www.omniagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/90dayperfeval-300x251.jpg

Objectives Define time management. How do graduate students spend their time? Common time management mistakes. Prioritizing important tasks and school assignments. Identify what are the time wasters. Identifying effective time management for graduate students and online courses. http://sr.photos2.fotosearch.com/bthumb/CSP/CSP272/k19368092.jpg

Lack of Time Management Skills: What Can Happen Chronic procrastination (lack of motivation and priorities) Declining academic performance (due to classloads, family, work, and personal obligations). Lack of sleep (the brain is unable to fully understand meaning and concept). Poor diet/unhealthy eating habits (increase in high fat and high sugar foods). Risk of dropping out or taking longer to complete a degree (30% of students leave college or take longer to complete a degree). (Heibutzki, 2018)

Defining Time Management Ask yourself: How do you define time management? How do you manage your time? You need to be realistic about online courses. Online courses are not easier nor will they take less time than face-to-face courses. There are ways to make online graduate learning work. Organization is the key. What resources can be found in your (a) family, (b) work, and (c) school to help you with course work and scheduling? (Online Universities, 2018)

How Do Health Science Graduate Students Spend Their Time? http://image.slidesharecdn.com/studyskillsii-1211120138807631-8/95/nurserevieworg-study-skills-and-test-strategies-for-the-new-nursing-student-20-728.jpg?cb%5Cu003d1284272492

Time Management Mistakes Failing to Keep a To-Do List Not Setting Personal Goals Not Prioritizing Failing to Manage Distractions Procrastination Taking on Too Much Thriving on “Busy” Multitasking Not Taking Breaks Ineffectively Scheduling Tasks (Mind Tools, n.d.)

Prioritize Tasks and Assignments Respect Deadlines. Meeting deadlines and due dates is an important part of online graduate school success. Set Milestone Deadlines. Break down the assignment and complete in small chunks in allotted time frames. Consider the Consequences. What happens of you do not complete your assignment/task on time? Consider the Time Required. Make a to-do list allocated the time required for each assignment/task. Set Goals: What type of reward comes if you meet your goals in your courses? (Snell, 2016)

Quit Wasting Your Time. What are Time Wasters? Not knowing what your priorities are before a class or project begins. Amount of time spent on social media. Computer and software requirements for an online course. Interruptions and distractions. Find a quiet place to study and read. Not saying “no.” Do not take on too much. Not having a game plan for success. In other words, bad planning. Poor organizational skills (lack of time management).

Graduate Student Time Management Strategies Create daily individual tasks/plans. Make separate to do lists to help prioritize. Take larger tasks and break them down into smaller tasks. Complete one task before moving on to the other. Prioritize tasks according to importance. Graduate students will schedule too much in small timeframes. Prioritize school assignments. Spend more time working on larger assignments than smaller ones. However, all assignments are important. (College Atlas, 2014)

Graduate Student Time Management Strategies Set deadlines for yourself. Be realistic when setting deadlines. Deadlines can change with work and personal circumstances. Create flexible daily schedules to account for unexpected distractions. Study at your mental peak. In other words, are you a morning person or night person. You do not want to tackle a project when you are mentally fatigued. Learn to say “no.” Graduate students will often assume excessive workloads. Make use of wasted time by. Every moment counts, so look for opportunities to review notes and class readings. (College Atlas, 2014)

Time Management Tips for Completing an Online Course Make your course a priority for the duration of the course. Set aside a certain amount of time everyday for course work. Make a study plan. Get rid of distractors. Jump ahead and do what you can when you can. Do not procrastinate. Be mindful of assignments and task due dates and times. Make a calendar or schedule. (Burns, 2015)

More Helpful Tips for Online Success Find out what is expected of you from each professor/course. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Self-pacing (Studying and reading too long can wear you down. Know when to take breaks). Back everything up in multiple ways (i.e. external hard drives, memory sticks, a second computer). Getting your work done in a timely manner can lead to other rewards, such as more sleep, leisure time, and family time. Check in daily. Log in to your online course management tool (Canvas). (Yager, n.d.)

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References Burns, M. (2015). Completing and online course: 13 time management tips. E Learning Industry. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/completing-online-course-13-time-management-tips College Atlas. (2014). Time management strategies fro graduate students. Retrieved from https://www.collegeatlas.org/time-management-graduate-students.html Heibutzki, R. (2018). How lack of time management affects college students. Seattle PI. Retrieved from http://education.seattlepi.com/lack-time-management-affects-college-students-1093.html Mind Tools. (n.d.). 10 common time management mistakes: Avoiding common pitfalls. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/time-management-mistakes.htm Online Universities. (2018). The psychology of time management. Retrieved from https://www.onlineuniversities.com/articles/students/the-psychology-of-time-management/

References Snell, S. (2016). 7 tips for how to prioritize tasks effectively. Vandelay Design. Retrieved from http://www.vandelaydesign.com/how-to-prioritize-tasks/ Yager, J. (n.d.). Time management for online learners-10 tricks. E Learners. Retrieved from https://www.elearners.com/education-resources/online-learning/time-management-for-online- learners/