Studying online can be one of the easiest ways to balance getting a qualification like an online bachelors in business with your life, whether you are working, raising a family, or studying full time. Of course, there are some times in the year when there are more distractions than others, and the holiday season is certainly one of them. As the fall draws in and the start of the holidays can feel like it’s just around the corner, it can be a good idea to have some strategies in place so you can study effectively, even if things get busy with your family or social life!
Here are some tips:
Set Goals
The holiday season can go quite quickly, and there are many students every year who find themselves in January wondering where the time went, having accomplished little of what they thought they would have done. Rather than have a vague idea of what you’d expect to have done by the new year, instead have a clear set of goals. If you want to have completed a paper, watched a certain number of lectures, finished a module, or any other hard and fast goal, then be clear about it. From there you can work out how long that will take, and this makes it easier to form a schedule.
Be Conservative About Time
While you’re working out how much you’ll need to study and when, don’t be overly optimistic. If you think you’ll be able to do a couple of hours every night after the kids are in bed, accept that there will be nights they will be overexcited in the run up to Christmas. If you think you’ll be able to study every evening except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, be realistic – can you really guarantee there will be no tempting invitations for festive drinks, or guests dropping by unexpectedly? Put lots of contingency into your schedule so you don’t end up frustrated or missing out.
Plan to Enjoy Yourself, Too!
Nobody should have a study schedule that leaves no time for themselves, and as long as you don’t fall short on the planning and scheduling, you should be able to find plenty of time to enjoy the good parts of the season while staying ahead as a student. However, if your study workload is high – for instance if you have a lot of writing to do or major exams coming up – it can be key to prioritize which things you really want to do, and maybe going to less social and family events than you are invited to.
It can be easy to find time for fun as well as keeping up your studies for your online business degree or other important qualification, so if you plan and prioritize well there is no reason to end up facing January either with regrets about slacking off, or feeling resentment toward your course for robbing you of Christmas fun!
