| Are you looking to or have recently enrolled in a | | | | anyway, so I left my job and began my distance |
| distance learning school and are now biting your nails | | | | learning education unemployed. Initially, I thought it would |
| at the thought of having to manage your time by | | | | be a good idea because I had money saved in the |
| yourself? That is the worry of many who dive | | | | bank and the time would allow me to focus my |
| head-first into this educational option only to realize | | | | energy on school. However, I quickly began to realize |
| they procrastinate so much that they won't make it to | | | | that I had too much time and too little school work. |
| their own funeral on time. It leaves them to wonder | | | | While it didn't seem possible for graduate-level studies, |
| how they will manage their time well enough to | | | | it was. So I relished in my free time and kept putting |
| complete assignments without constant harassment | | | | off my homework until, before I knew it, I was |
| from a professor. I speak from experience in saying, it | | | | scrambling to finish my assignments. |
| can be done, but it will take a lot of organization - and | | | | To solve this problem, I began to work part time. This |
| a little growing up. | | | | gave me a deadline-oriented schedule and put |
| I have been attending a distance learning university for | | | | pressure on me to study with my remaining time, |
| almost a year now, and in the later months it became | | | | which actually worked. At the same time, it also put |
| a breeze - but in the beginning it was a challenge for | | | | some extra cash in my pockets - not a bad tradeoff. If |
| me. While I loved the independence of learning outside | | | | you don't want to work outside of the home, however, |
| of a classroom setting, I was not the best at managing | | | | you can always baby sit a child or even volunteer. The |
| my time - I had procrastination issues. "Oh, I'll get to it | | | | main objective is to keep yourself busy with distance |
| tomorrow," I kept telling myself, until "tomorrow" was | | | | learning because if you don't, you might be in danger of |
| my assignment's due date. I had to develop a plan to | | | | impending procrastination. |
| manage my time better - which I did - and now I would | | | | Don't Get Sidetracked |
| like to share some of what I learned with you so that | | | | Studying through a distance learning program |
| you won't fall under the brunt of the distance learning | | | | unfortunately provides the opportunity to become |
| experience. | | | | easily sidetracked, especially when your child tugs at |
| Set up a Schedule and Stick to It | | | | your shirt or a friend stops by to talk about marriage |
| Depending on the structure of your distance learning | | | | problems. It can be a lot easier to put your work to the |
| program, your freedom in turning in assignments might | | | | side and say "I'll get to it tomorrow." But if you cut |
| be rather flexible. For my school, I am obligated to turn | | | | yourself this slack, you will soon realize your time is up. |
| in a group of assignments by the end of each month; | | | | To avoid this, make arrangements with your friends |
| however I can turn in assignments anytime in the | | | | and family early so that they understand your |
| month if I so please. While initially I thought I would just | | | | obligations. Find someone to watch your child just as |
| finish all of my assignments for the semester in the | | | | you would if you had to attend a traditional university. |
| first few months and get it all out of the way, I was | | | | And explain to your friend that you understand their |
| wrong. I enjoyed the freedom that came along with | | | | pain, but between certain hours you have to "go to |
| the schedule and before I knew it I wanted to go to | | | | school." It's important to set those boundaries firmly so |
| the park and visit my friends instead of do my | | | | everyone, including you, understands how seriously you |
| homework. Once I recognized the problem, I set up a | | | | are taking your education. |
| schedule to have a certain amount of work done each | | | | Being successful at any university requires good |
| week, whether it was the assigned readings or a | | | | organization and time management skills, but a distance |
| paper. That way, by the end of the month, I was | | | | learning education requires even more. The benefits of |
| making final edits to my work instead of just getting | | | | this type of education can be great however, so don't |
| started. | | | | let anything get in your way. You'll find that if you can |
| Keep Yourself Busy When Not Studying | | | | get yourself organized for distance learning, you will |
| This was a big issue for me because I'd recently left a | | | | naturally feel inclined to get organized in other areas of |
| job that was downsizing and pretty much let me know | | | | your life - and that's always a plus! |
| my time was limited. I'd wanted to go back to school | | | | |