3 Ways To Survive Getting Your Online Degree

It’s 2022, there are a lot of reasons why you may be contemplating getting your online degree:

• Career: This could be an advancement in your current position, a career switch in the future, or deciding to work for yourself.
• Attainability: It’s easier to go online for you because it’s more flexible than attending a class on campus during set hours.
• Accelerated learning: With accelerated learning, you can complete a certain degree or certifications faster than before.

… and the list goes on. Online degrees and courses were slowly emerging and transforming but thanks to the 2020 pandemic, anyone from anywhere can access anything. However, while it’s been easy to enroll and be excited at the prospects, you’ll find that getting your online degree needs just as (or more) discipline than attending on-campus. Here are 3 tips to survive the ever-changing culture that surrounds online courses and getting your online degree.

Tip #1: Time-Block and Schedule

Your best friend when it comes to getting your degree online is time blocking and creating a schedule. It's important to have good habits developed for online school because you are the only one who is responsible for your education. You need to block off a specific time, even if it's just after you get off of work, or wake up an hour early to study before you go to work. Setting an alarm for the same time every day will help you remember to log in and check your classes. You can't succeed if you don't attend. Plus, with this time blocking, you should put away your phone, social media, and any other distractions. Then, you take the appropriate breaks as needed in your schedule. Everyone is different and you should find a routine that works best for you, and stick to it. Calendar and timer apps are useful for these. A lot of students utilize the Pomodoro technique to study and take breaks.

Tip #2: Be Organized

With any course, you need to make sure you have the proper tools to even start. Having a dedicated workspace with dedicated tools will help you tune into the study mindset when you sit down. Have a dedicated playlist so you don't have to spend a lot of time looking for something to listen to, have your notebook and pens ready or have your word processor pulled up to take notes, and all of your school materials ready. Make sure you that you’re using the same system each time so you don’t waste any time looking for notes. It doesn’t make sense to take notes in Microsoft Word then go to Google Docs or take notes in a notebook one week and your iPad the next, you get the point.

Tip #3: Set Goals

You may hear this a lot but here it is again: set goals. It’s easy to get excited and dive in but if you don’t have a direction or map, you’re going to get lost and burnt out quick. It’s also to get discouraged quickly if you don’t have an idea of where you’re going. Setting goals helps you stay on track and organized. How you set goals will look different than how other people do so don’t be afraid to keep trying different techniques. Set goals for getting your online course by:

• Starting with the end goal, then work backwards
• The end goal is your long-term goal
• Each class will be a milestone and a short-term goal

Reward yourself when you accomplish a goal and pass a milestone, you deserve it! One thing about online courses is that you can make yourself log in or work too much. Breaks are important for your mind. Use them wisely!

While getting your online degree can be tough at times or an adjustment to independent, distance learning, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Millions of students log in every day for online courses, so you can too. Utilizing time blocking and scheduling, organization skills, and setting goals are three of the top ways you can survive getting your online degree. Go forth and accomplish!