5 Tips to Help You Stay Motivated While Studying Online

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Distant learning has many advantages, especially for those with small children or those working on the side while attending college. It can be very convenient for various people at different stages of life, but there are also some distractions that can occur while studying at home. If you find yourself having difficulty staying focused, here are 5 tips to help you stay motivated while studying online.

1. Have a set schedule for each day

You now have school work to complete above and beyond meals, childcare, house work, doctor’s appointments, etc. How do you ensure that nothing gets missed? Scheduling your day will help you to build consistency in your life. For example, if you know that every day you will be doing school work between 8 am and 12 pm and that appointments can only take place between 1 pm and 3pm, you are on your way to building a routine that never intersects. Have a designated time of day for everything that you need to complete and don’t get down on yourself if things happen to not work out perfectly. Sheila Levang, the Student Services Advisor at CanScribe Career College says, “Establish a self-motivation regime to get yourself in the groove. Remember to be positive, get rid of the negative thoughts. As soon as a negative thought comes to mind turn it into a positive; it can be done! The more you do it, the easier it gets, the better you feel and the more motivated you are!  Set short term goals for each day/week and reward yourself frequently!” Remember that life happens, and sometimes we have to change our routine. If a change has to happen be sure to take advantage of your Microsoft Outlook calendar to help remind you that your schedule is a little different today.

2. Beware of distractions

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook claims that the average person spends about 40 minutes a day on Facebook. That is one social media site alone. So how do you ensure that you’re not getting distracted by things like Social Media when there is school work that needs to be completed? You can download RescueTime, a great free application that helps you understand your daily habits so you can focus and be more productive. Set it so that you can see how often you get distracted while you are doing your Online Training. Further you can turn off your phone, TV or any other media that might pull your attention away. Having the accountability that keeps you on track might just be the boost you were looking for.

3. Prioritize your work load

With so much to do in a day, you might find that your schedule is taking a hit and you are unable to follow it completely. This is when prioritizing your work is a necessity. “Make a list of everything you need to get done and rank in order of importance” says Jacky Tsui, a CanScribe Student Services Representative. Once you have decided what is most important for your schedule, start crossing tasks off your list. You just might be surprised at how much you get done in a day when you prioritize.

4. Take Breaks

It is important that you don’t cram too much into your schedule. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Take time to get up and stretch, have a snack, or walk around the house. It is amazing how much more productive you can be when you take a break. For more information about the importance of breaks, read this article.

5. Review your course timeline regularly

The course timeline is a suggested guide to make sure students complete the Medical Transcription/Healthcare Documentation course within a year. If you find yourself falling behind you will want to readjust your schedule. But don’t just use your schedule to ensure you are doing the bare minimum, use your timeline to bank some extra time. “Working ahead gives you some breathing room in case you have to miss a day for unforeseen circumstances” says Tsui. We all know that life can change from day to day, vacations are planned, or illness can creep into our lives. So why not prepare for that? It’s like saving money for a rainy day.

Here at CanScribe Career College, we believe that your success is our success. We are here to help. If you are having difficulties staying on track or want some guidance in creating your daily routine, please feel free to contact Student Services at 1.800.466.1535.