Many students choose to take classes online because doing so allows them to work their classes into their busy work schedules. Students who work at a job full-time during the day can still pursue a degree in the evenings and on the weekends by taking courses online, many of which have very flexible requirements and homework schedules.

Online courses may indeed be flexible, but balancing work with online homework and classes is far from easy. Rather, it takes work – real dedication, motivation and practice. For students who work at a computer from 9-5 and then have to come home to do homework online, the prospect of sitting in front of a computer screen for an additional two hours may not always be appealing. Sometimes, though, it simply has to be done. This is where practicing good discipline comes in. Students need to remind themselves of the goals they are trying to achieve, and constantly remind themselves that while online courses may lack the strict format of traditional classes, they still be taken seriously. Homework and projects must be turned in by deadlines, and readings must be finished in order to complete the homework and projects.

How do busy students successfully balance their work and online homework and classes? One strategy students use is to carefully block out their time, so that no hours are wasted. For example, a student might plan to do online homework from 7-9pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and then for four hours each Saturday and Sunday. This provides structure, which is helpful for many students who need to complete their tasks on time.

Another strategy students use is to notify their employers of important school deadlines ahead of time, so that the student and the employer can work together to arrange a work schedule during that time which works for both of them. Employers always appreciate being given advance notice if an employee must take one or two days off, and if a student knows that they will need one or two extra days to finish a large project, they can plan for that ahead of time. That way, nobody is surprised, and the student shows that he is being responsible about both the school work and the work schedule.

Finally, many students actively schedule in “play time” for themselves. Though this might seem like an unnecessary thing to do, it is actually very important for success. Students who mindfully plan out their down time and relaxing time have much lower risks of burnout. Juggling school work and a job can be a very difficult task, but structured fun time can greatly help to alleviate the stress which goes along with this balancing act.

The key word here is balance – as much as possible, students should take care to not overwhelm themselves with either work or with school.

Tags: Learning Technologies, Online Education