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All of us have commitments everyday that we can not just let go by just because we have decided to go back to school but finding a balance will help us get through. These types will definitely help with that.

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With a schedule of early-morning lectures, cramming in study time between classes, making it to work on time and still finding time for a social life, college students may be feeling the pressure to keep all their plates spinning at the same time.

Many students are working during college to support themselves financially, something experts say is like working two full-time jobs. A U.S. Census report determined that 71% of the nation's 19.7 million college undergraduates were working in 2011 and of that number, one in five undergrads were working at least 35 hours a week year-round.

Students attempting to balance school, work, and family/social obligations should evaluate the commitments in their life and discuss realistic goals with friends and family members to ensure that they will have the support and time needed to maximize their success, recommends Becky Takeda-Tinker, president of Colorado State University-Global Campus.

â€œBeing realistic and understanding what you as an individual need in order to be successful and fully engaged is crucial whether itâ€™s succeeding in school, personal, or professional arenas,â€ she says. â€œEffective time management is a transferable skill that is an important foundation for both academic and professional success.â€

To help students with time management and maintain their sanity, here are four expert tips for establishing a well-balanced system.
Step 1: Create a Calendar
Creating a calendar or schedule forces students to visualize their obligations, whether itâ€™s paper, a dry erase board, or on a smartphone app, says Nicolas Tynes, vice president of programs at Harlem Education Activities Fund (HEAF).

â€œSome people may need a physical calendar and the action of writing on a calendar will help them retain information better, a calendar thatâ€™s in their face that they can look at on a regular ongoing basis,â€ he says.

Being able to see a week or monthâ€™s worth of obligations can also help students manage their time better for larger tasks like big projects and final exams to avoid cramming the night before, adds Takeda-Tinker.

â€œPlacing specific dates and times on their calendar helps to emphasize that school is a priority and commitment and allows for planning ahead--it is also wise to work ahead whenever possible,â€ she says. â€œLife events and emergencies will arise, but staying on top of school work means there will be room to adjust when those things do happen."
Step 2: Know You Have to Prioritize
Students, just like everyone else only have 24 hours each day to fit everything in (no matter how many energy drinks they consume) so they have to create a list of priorities to decide what matters are urgent and which ones can wait, says Shawnice Meador, director of Career Management & Leadership Development for MBA@UNC.

â€œRemember that sometimes what is important to someone else is not necessarily as important to you at that moment; you may have to occasionally say â€˜noâ€™ in order to stay on track with your personal and professional goals and objectives,â€ she says.

Although students may need to work a certain amount of hours to support themselves, itâ€™s vital they donâ€™t spread themselves too thin. Working extra hours during time off from school can give students some flexibility if they have a semester with a larger academic load, says Linda Descano, president and CEO of Women & Co.

â€œIf youâ€™re going to have classes that are very intensive, [ask your supervisor to] lower your work hours during that semester or figure out how are you going to allocate some of the course work that youâ€™re doing so you can still have enough time for work, which may be critical to your financial health, but also that you have some time to take a deep breath,â€ she says.
Step 3: Learn How to Multi-Task
Finding ways to multi-task and combine commitments can help students best utilize their time, particularly if they are commuting to class or work, says Tynes.

â€œStudents can look at how theyâ€™re using all aspects of their dayâ€"during their commute are they using that time to also study? Are they using it to meditate, sleep, are they using it to do some pleasure reading or socialize with their friends?â€

Busy students should also seek out opportunities to merge their school, work and social lives by getting involved in professional organizations and attending networking events, school-sponsored lectures and professional development workshops, suggests Meador.

â€œ These events are often free or low cost, and can really be worth the time and investment,â€ she says.

â€œThe best part of these opportunities [is] spending time with old and new friends while expanding your network and learning more about your profession.â€
Step 4: Seek Out Support Resources
If students are feeling overwhelmed, talking to academic and/or student advisors, professors, a peer-based or professional resource on campus can shed some light on problems or issues.

â€œTalking to non-university people in their lives - like a well-organized co-worker - that seem to balance multiple commitments with ease can also be helpful,â€ says Takeda-Tinker. â€œCommunication is a key when questions, issues, obstacles or concerns arise so that students can access the necessary resources and partner with their school in strategies for success.â€

Seeking out assistance from upperclassmen in their specific major or field also gives students more tailored, relevant advice about their situation, suggests Descano.

â€œIt could be little: how people take notes, how they study, finding people who commute with you,â€ she says. â€œEven if youâ€™re feeling overwhelmed, just to talk to someone and not keep it all buried in, but leveraging your parents, your friends and your advisors and asking for help.â€

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Balancing Act: Tips for College Students to Best Manage their Time

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With a schedule of early-morning lectures, cramming in study time between classes, making it to work on time and still finding time for a social life, college students may be feeling the pressure to keep all their plates spinning at the same time.

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We all deal with stress and just because we taking courses online doesn't mean we don't have just as much stress as other or even more but these times will help us deal with it

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You're an online student balancing many responsibilities, including school work, a career, family, and other obligations. Many online students complete their work whenever they have free time - during a lunch break, at night, or on the weekends. The pressure to meet these requirements and manage other important aspects of your life can produce a feeling of anxiety and stress. When students cannot maintain an effective balance and become overwhelmed, they often drop out. What will help you avoid stress is the development of a proactive plan that keeps you focused, prepared, and ready to meet these demands.

Recognize Good Stress and Bad Stress

There is a difference between productive stress and negative stress. A busy schedule with many responsibilities can produce good stress when an effective time management plan is in place because it can help you stay motivated. Negative stress is often a result of feeling that there isn't enough time. A key factor is your perception of events that occur every day because everyone has the potential to experience stress in their career and personal lives. The way that this stress is perceived often determines how you address it and respond to it. For example, if you perceive stress as something you can manage and control, your attitude will enable you to work with it.

Recognize Stress Triggers

Managing stress effectively is necessary so that you can maximize your effectiveness as a student. It is helpful to recognize what triggers the potential for stress. As an example, your physical health and well-being may trigger stress if you are not getting enough rest. One method of identifying potential stress triggers is to keep a journal and monitor the outcome of your weekly responsibilities and how you felt throughout the week. This will help you determine if there were stressful conditions that resulted in feelings of anxiety and your response to it.

Stress Management: Build a Social Network

A common source of stress for many online students results from a feeling of being disconnected from the class because the other students and instructor are not visibly present. Additional sources of stress include not being able to find the needed materials, posting a question that is not immediately answered, or feeling that you do not know how to relate to other students. All of these factors can contribute to a sense of isolation. It becomes very important then for online students to connect with each other, which can be accomplished through active participation in the discussion threads. If there is a chat thread or chat forum available, use that to share your hobbies and career interests as a means of developing connections. As you learn to collaborate with other students, you will feel more like you are a part of the class.

Stress Management: Develop a Schedule

You are expected to find the course materials, complete the assigned readings, submit your assignments on time, and remain actively involved in class discussions. This can become overwhelming if it seems that there are too many tasks to complete each week. Developing a planned schedule is a good way to organize your tasks and is a proactive form of stress management.

The purpose of a schedule is to help you stay organized. Many students establish a schedule according to their responsibilities and assignments. For example, you could divide up the required tasks for an assignment (prep time, research, writing a draft, making revisions, etc.) and add each component to your schedule. It is a good idea to periodically review the effectiveness of your schedule to make sure that all requirements are met.

Stress Management: Utilize Your Schedule

Developing a schedule becomes more effective when you also have a time management plan in place to help you utilize that schedule. Instead of just planning what needs to be accomplished each week, you can also allocate time to complete each task. Students who create a schedule, but fail to allow enough time to stick with that schedule, often feel pressured at the last minute to get their work caught up.

Managing your time is directly related to managing your stress because you will feel in control of your time and will be less likely to experience anxiety if your school work is completed on time or even ahead of time.

Consider these questions as you review your time management plan:
* Do you have any potential time traps that could cause stress? Time traps are any unplanned or unnecessary activities that prevent you from completing what has been scheduled.
* Should you consider or weigh the importance of obligations and activities? Because there is a fixed amount of time available each week to complete your school work, you may find it necessary to establish priorities. Activities with the lowest priority may be eliminated so that other high-priority items can be accomplished.

Stress Management: Include Downtime

As you develop a schedule and plan the use of your time, it is helpful to also include scheduled breaks. The purpose of downtime is to shift your attention away from the intensity of your responsibilities long enough to allow yourself to catch your breath and feel relaxed. The amount of time allocated can be a matter of a few minutes or several hours, depending upon your schedule.

Here are important questions to ask as you review the potential for stress:
* How could you include downtime in your weekly time management plan? A downtime activity could include exercising, reading, or breathing techniques to release tension.
* Would downtime help you feel relaxed and better able to cope with a busy life?
* How will you remind yourself that you need time to relax so that you can manage stress?

Putting It All Together

Development of a proactive stress management plan will allow you to maintain control of your school work without always feeling overwhelmed. If you establish control of your time, you are likely to complete the required assignments, balance other responsibilities, and manage the potential causes of stress. How you feel is also an important aspect of being able to manage a challenging schedule as an online student. Try to include downtime each week and find ways to stay connected with other students in your class.

By Dr. Bruce Johnson

Photo: © David Burton/Corbis

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Stress Management for Online Students - OnlineCollegeCourses.com

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You're an online student balancing many responsibilities, including school work, a career, family, and other obligations. Many online students complete their work whenever they have free time - during a lunch break, at night, or on the weekends. The pressure to meet these requirements and manage other important aspects of your life can produce a feeling of anxiety and stress.

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As adults we all have many things that we have to do so this times will make it easy for us to do just that I myself well be taking advantage these tips

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I think these are good tips because all us were taught to study this way and we all probably need new ways to study.

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Since grade school, most students have been taught the "right" way to study: Dedicate yourself. Memorize. Lock yourself in a quiet room and don't leave until you know the material. Recently, however, the New York Times reported that many of these habits are scientifically unsound, and that some strategies that seem counterintuitive actually do work. Below are some of the methods the Times sheds light on, plus ones that we have found to be tried and true.

What tips do you have for effective studying? Weigh in below.

Study Habits for College Students

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9 Awesome Study Tips For College Students

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Since grade school, most students have been taught the "right" way to study: Dedicate yourself. Memorize. Lock yourself in a quiet room and don't leave until you know the material. Recently, however, the New York Times reported that many of these habits are scientifically unsound, and that some strategies that seem counterintuitive actually do work.