AMU Lifestyle Military

Recommendations for Planning Schoolwork

Every student has a different approach to their school work. The variable circumstances of the individual student and his/her life and program mean that no approach will be one-size-fits-all. I can also attest that over time what works best for any one individual will change, and how I slog through my master’s program today is entirely different from my approach to school work from as recent as even a year ago. However, while what works may change over time, there are a couple of basic foundations which can help aid a busy student in accomplishing their education goals, one week (or day) at a time.

My experience in college education has ranged from the traditional undergraduate program at a brick-and-mortar, to AMU’s 100% online program, through today where I am an online student in Norwich’s online Master of Arts in Military History program. For those of us in online programs, most classes follow a weekly format. It is usually very easy to know assignment and discussion deadlines far in advance, and it is generally easier to plan for an online course than a traditional one. This is partly because many online courses expect their students to have obligations outside of school, whereas the traditional student does not require as much notice or planning, as school is their sole obligation (though this certainly has exceptions). For my current graduate seminar, I have two primary discussion questions due during the week. The first is due on Tuesday, the second by Friday, and followup student responses are due by Sunday. Papers or other assignments are clearly marked in the syllabus and course calendar, and generally appear every other week.

So what does this all mean for a student who wants to develop a flexible but structured approach to their courses? My recommendations are based on my own experience, and are as follows:

First, mark your course due dates somewhere readily accessible to you. For a long time I would print out a paper with all my deadlines and hang it up next to my computer, where I spend a lot of time outside of work. Recently I bought a 2nd generation Google Nexus 7, and even before that I used many Google products like a shared Google calendar with my wife, Gmail, and so on. It was very easy for me to set up a Google calendar widget on my home screen, and mark all my deadlines on the calendar in an alarming red color. There are many different ways to go about this, but the key is to make sure it is somewhere you constantly look, and complete enough that you can rely on it for all your due dates. This approach has saved me from my busy lifestyle by refocusing me on an impending deadline many times.

Second, break down these deadlines into smaller tasks. For example, when I know I have a paper due at the end of the week, I assign myself a paragraphs throughout the week. Monday I might do my introduction. Perhaps I have other obligations at work or school on Tuesday, so I wait until Wednesday to resume working on my paper – but each task is manageable, and personally, I feel a sense of accomplishment when I check each off my weekly to do list.

Finally, look forward into your course. Know the weeks that are going to challenge you the most. Usually this is near the end of the course when exams and final papers are due. Set goals to make these weeks easier by starting your work early particularly during weeks of lighter work loads.

by Bradley Hood
Contributor, InMilitaryEducation.com

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