Online college classes are skyrocketing in popularity. In a recent study, almost half of the chief learning officers indicated their school’s online enrollment surpassed their on-campus programs. Being an online student comes with plenty of perks: a flexible schedule, no commute, and the freedom to hold your dog in your lap during lectures.
Before enrolling in your first online class, however, keep in mind that you’ll need to develop excellent time management. Without the structure of in-person classes, it’s easy to fall behind. College students in online classes can practice good time management by scheduling specific study sessions, planning ahead, and using app-blocking tools to minimize distractions.
Ready to dive deeper? Let’s explore how to manage time effectively in online courses.
Other than attending class from your couch, flexibility is the biggest perk of online learning. You can study anytime, anywhere – without pants! However, students new to online learning often underestimate how much they need a plan.
To succeed in an online class, it’s important to block off specific study times, review the syllabus and write down deadlines, and get familiar with your learning platform.
It’s a myth that online courses require less work, which means you still have to stay on top of your game. Unlike attending in-person classes, online courses entail scheduling time on your own for all course components. It’s easy to put off watching lectures or posting to discussion boards in favor of binging your latest Netflix obsession. After a while, though, all those lectures and homework assignments start to pile up until you have no hope of completing them by your professor’s deadlines.
To avoid a crisis at the end of the semester, treat online classes with the same priority as in-person classes. Block out specific times on your calendar each day to attend class and work on assignments – then stick to it.
Before the course starts, dissect your syllabus and make a note of every deadline on your calendar so nothing falls through the cracks. Ask your professor if you have any questions about upcoming assignments.
Then take some time to understand how your learning platform works and what features it offers. For example, if your courses are in Canvas, there are some built-in functions to help you stay organized (you can check out USF’s handy guides to Canvas here).
Eliminating distractions is key to success in online classes. You can accomplish this by using time management apps and techniques, setting up a dedicated study area, and avoiding multitasking.
These popular time management apps can help you stay on track:
TickTick is a free to-do list app that also offers features like a Pomodoro timer.
Simple Time Tracker for Android and Timelines for Apple are free time-tracking apps that help you figure out where all those precious hours are going.
You can also try the advice of this CNN writer, who prefers these simple strategies to apps:
At the end of the day, write down three priorities for your next day.
Try mindful productivity: Focus on “what matters so you can crush your work goals and have a life outside of them.”
Plan the next week of classwork every Friday: Write down what’s due and when you’ll work on it.
We’ve also included a downloadable weekly planner at the bottom of this post to help you organize your time.
If you live with roommates or relatives, finding a quiet study space can be challenging. Ideally, do your classwork in a separate room with a door. A whiteboard on the door can be helpful for letting others know when you don’t want to be disturbed.
If you can’t cloister yourself in a separate room, consider purchasing a set of noise-cancelling headphones or a white noise machine. Ask housemates to respect your study time and avoid interrupting you.
Don’t forget that even if you don’t attend classes on campus, you can take advantage of its resources. For example, the USF library offers individual study rooms that you can reserve online.
The truth is, only 2.5 percent of people can truly multitask. The rest of us are actually switching rapidly between two tasks, which can cost us 40 percent of our productive time. Multitasking has been linked to lower grades, because we can’t achieve the deep focus we need to process and learn information.
The data is clear: To absorb online course material and efficiently complete assignments, resist the urge to check your Instagram feed, scroll TikTok, or text your friends.
Distraction apps that block games, social media, or your frequently visited websites can be particularly helpful when you need to focus. Here’s some popular choices:
Just hiding your phone in the other room can be surprisingly helpful: Research has found that even the presence of a phone drains your attention, because you’re exerting self-control not to check it.
Once you have a plan, it can be tempting to log in to your course infrequently. But just like in traditional classes, things can change. Your professor might revise the exam schedule or decide that an extra assignment is necessary. If you log in often, you can avoid unpleasant surprises and missed deadlines. Try adding a quick check-in task to your daily calendar so it becomes part of your routine.
When used properly, AI can be a good time management tool for online classes. But you’ll want to follow best practices: Don’t let AI do the work for you, consult your professor’s syllabus for AI policies, disclose AI use in an ethical way, and fact-check AI’s output.
In online classes, AI tools can help you manage your time and prioritize tasks by:
However, make sure you aren’t using AI to do the actual homework (like writing an essay) for you. Our handy guide on using AI for coursework can help you steer clear of pitfalls.
Before using any artificial intelligence tools, consult your course syllabus for AI policies and ask your instructor to clarify what’s allowed. Rules can vary widely depending on each class: Some instructors don’t allow AI for any part of the process, and you don’t want to be accused of plagiarism.
If you are allowed to use it, disclose exactly how you applied AI to your project.
AI often makes mistakes. Even seemingly reliable sources, like Google’s AI Overviews, need to be double checked. (These search-query summaries give out “tens of millions of erroneous answers every hour.”) Never rely on AI without looking at where it’s getting its information and fact-checking its answers with a reliable, non-AI source.
One of the downsides to online learning is that students often feel less connected to their campus community, which can negatively affect motivation. Make sure you reach out to professors, staff, and classmates to build camaraderie and find support.
If you’re struggling with course concepts, are stuck on an assignment, or are facing writer’s block, reach out to your professor. Don’t wait until you’re drowning – seek help early so you can get back on track before it’s too late to salvage the course. Your professor typically will host virtual office hours, discussion boards, and other ways to connect.
Your school should offer robust online resources for student support. At USF, that includes:
If you’re struggling with an assignment, turn to a fellow classmate for help. Chances are, they could use a study buddy, too. You don’t even have to meet in person to reap the benefits of joint study sessions. Simply log into a virtual call together and complete your assignments at the same time.
This strategy is called body doubling, and it has become increasingly popular for motivating people to do everything from laundry to homework. We’re naturally social beings, and we perform better in a group! (Plus, doing work simultaneously can provide a sense of accountability.)
It’s not always easy to spend your days staring at a screen. After an intense period of studying or when you’ve completed a particularly grueling assignment, take a break. Go for a walk in your neighborhood, play with your pooch, text a friend – whatever makes you happy! It may seem counterintuitive when you have a ton of work, but rewarding yourself is critical to keeping up your motivation and helping you succeed in your online courses.
If you live near campus, show up to the occasional in-person event, too. This can help you feel more connected to your school community, leading to better motivation and ultimately more efficient learning.
To start managing your time more effectively, download our handy weekly planner that you can post in your study space.
Choosing a well-designed online class is also key to your success. When researching online programs, look for schools with a history of excellence in online education, and check out potential instructors using tools like Rate My Professor and LinkedIn. The more a class engages you, the more likely you are to stay on top of assignments.
Questions about enrolling in an online course at USF? Reach out to us at admissions@usf.edu. We’re always happy to help!