How to Make Online Study Work For You

My name’s Amanda, and I’m addicted to learning.

And I don’t mean that in a corny sort of way. I genuinely feel better about myself and my life when learning new things. As a parent and generally, a busy adult, traditional learning settings don’t really work for my lifestyle. Enter – distance education.

Distance education used to be a pack of learnings materials sent in the mail, you do your best to figure them out, you do some assessment and you hope for the best. This really isn’t the case any more. I’ve completed one degree largely via distance education and in a weeks time I will start another.

I recognise that distance education or online study isn’t for everyone. We all learn in different ways and some people really do their best with one on one interaction with a teacher or tutor. However, if you are considering studying online here are some tips and tricks that I used to make it work for me.

Be organised

So this one seems like a given but if you’re trying to balance work, social life, parenting, sport, etc and adding on online study – it can be a lot. However, there are 24 hours in every day so it’s not impossible.

For the most part I listen to lectures on the way to and from work, I have at least a 45 minute commute so I may as well make the most of it. I do readings before bed. I do a half day of study in the middle of the week and another on the weekend. I do a little more leading up to exams. I get my assignments started well and truly before the due date and have them submitted at least a few days in advance.

And I plan for things to go wrong.

The night before a big chemistry exam I was looking after a sick toddler, but the exam went fine because I had already been doing a consistent amount of study each night leading up to it. I was tired on the day, but I was prepared.

Have a good support network

Surround yourself with people who support your goals and study ambitions. Have people in your corner who understand that if you have an essay due that you might not be able to keep all your previous social engagements or that you might need an extra hand with things while you’re getting some study done. Have people around you who understand that you might need to vent sometimes but that doesn’t mean you want to quit.

Studying online can be a bit lonely sometimes so it does help having a support network you can count on to get you through the hard bits.

Have a dedicated study space

You can do your readings while you’ve got Netflix going on the telly, you can write your essay at the kitchen table, you can go over your study notes on a park bench – but having a dedicated study space (if possible) really gets you into the headspace of “I mean business.”

Now, this contradicts my previous comment about listening to lectures during my commute, so let me explain. I do listen to lectures in my car driving to work but my essays, writing notes, completing online quizzes, preparing for exams – that all happens at my desk. When completing my last degree I found it very helpful to be able to close the door and just focus on what I’m doing. Having that dedicated space helped me get in the zone.

Have a goal in mind

Studying for the sake of studying can be enjoyable and rewarding, however for best results I really recommend studying with a goal in mind. It doesn’t matter if that goal is to fill a gap in your CV, to complete your next level of education, or to get qualified to get a particular job – a goal will keep you focused on the days when you just cannot be bothered and YouTube is calling your name. Which leads me to…

Be realistic

If you are working full time, have a whole gaggle of kids, and already struggle to find time to yourself – maybe take on part time study rather than full time? Honestly some degrees have bigger time demands than others and I’d really recommend looking into it before committing. Especially if you’ve never studied online before.

Studying online can be incredibly flexible and give you the freedom to work and attend to other commitments but it also requires you to manage your time well into order to complete everything required of you, especially when exams or other assessments are coming up. Really look into the amount of time the degree would require before you commit.

Give yourself a break

Make sure you still go to the movies, you hang out with friends, you go out to dinner, you go on your holidays. Spend Christmas morning with your family. Keep playing your sports. Read a book, write a story, go for a hike, bake a cake. Whatever it is that makes you feel relaxed, do that thing.

Study can be rewarding and there are a lot of benefits, but it can also be stressful. It’s really important that you don’t cut yourself off from the things that make you happy. The only way to be successful is to look after yourself.

Use the support services provided by your university/college

The schools providing these online courses are generally getting better at supporting their students. If you are struggling and you’ve tried all you can, reach out to your school and get help. It may make all the difference.

And that’s it! I wish you all the best with your studying endeavours. And wish me luck – hopefully in a few years I’ll be teaching History and Japanese to Australian high school students – at least that’s the plan.