As an online student earning your credentials for a career in healthcare, working on school assignments from home might test your ability to balance your academic and social life.1 You have to commit to finishing your work despite the appeal of meeting up with friends or family and escaping from your duties as a student. Here are some helpful study tips to help you find ways to complete your assignments that may free up more time to hang out with friends.
Look for unexpected opportunities.
Take advantage of any unexpected spare time that you come across throughout the day. For example, if you find yourself waiting for a doctor's appointment, you could review some reading materials in the lobby to pass the time. Maybe a friend is running late to meet you for lunch. That might be a good time to jot down an outline for a paper you have to write soon.
Eliminate distractions.
According to U.S. News and World Report, one of the most effective strategies for balancing your school and social life is to make sure that you efficiently utilize the time you dedicated to studying.2 You shouldn't allow yourself to get distracted by things such as your cell phone, television or social media websites like Facebook and Twitter.
Find a quiet area.
Working in a room or environment that has a lot of distractions and noise might have an impact on your ability to study. Stillman College recommended that students telecommuting to school should find a study area that's comfortable to learn and work in.3 Some optimal locations include cafes, local libraries and bookstores; typical places for students to relax and study quietly. Being able to completely focus on your work can allow you to not only be consistently productive, but also free up your schedule to see friends later.
Prioritize your work.
HerCampus explained that learning how to prioritize and tackle your assignments might allow you to better balance your academics and social life.4 If you have multiple assignments due in one week, might want to consider using a to-do list or organizer to rank your assignments in terms of priority. Try tackling easier assignments first to ramp your way up to bigger and more complex ones, such as term papers. Once you have the majority of your assignments from the to-do list completed, set some time aside to spend with friends. Look at it as a study break, and a reward for doing your schoolwork.
1. http://www.volstate.edu/TutorialModules/Balance.php
3. http://www.stillmannews.com/2013/03/01/how-to-balance-academics-social-lives/
4. http://www.hercampus.com/school/c-mich/how-balance-work-school-and-social-life-college