Time management is critical to your success. There are several proven time management techniques for online learning that will help you personally and professionally. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Try several tips to figure out what works best for you! 


  1. Review the syllabus to familiarize yourself with the curriculum and timeline. Identify modules that may require more time and effort and proactively plan ahead so you have more time to complete those modules.

  2. Update your Canvas dashboard view to "List View" to show upcoming deadlines. 
  3. Review the course calendar for upcoming due dates. Did you know you can export your Nexford course calendar with your personal or work calendar? In Canvas, navigate to the calendar and find the "Calendar Feed" link in the calendar navigation sidebar. Select this option to copy the RSS feed link, which can be used to add your Nexford course calendars to your personal calendar.
    "Calendar Feed" link in the Canvas calendar
    This will provide you with two options to copy the calendar feed link or download an .ics file that can be imported into your external calendar. Select the "Click to view Calendar Feed" link to download the .ics file.
    Calendar feed options in Canvas calendar

  4. Break large tasks up into smaller tasks and set deadlines for each small task. When balancing your Nexford education with your work and personal life, it is much easier to plan and successfully complete smaller blocks of work into your limited time.

  5. Plan for the unexpected. When planning ahead for your course, make sure to build in time for unexpected events, such as illness, that may delay your plans.

  6. Create a dedicated study space. The space in which you study and work can impact your productivity. There are several strategies for creating a dedicated study space for optimal productivity.

  7. Avoid multi-tasking. There is a lot of research that shows that multi-tasking not only harms productivity but also the quality of work. Learners should practice single-tasking for the best chances of success. Set aside uninterrupted blocks of time to work on individual tasks, and avoid distractions like other browser windows, chat applications, or your phone.

 

Time Management Success Stories

Learn from NXU Alumni, who were asked: What is your time management approach?


Abolade Oladejo

Senior Program Officer
Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs


What I had to do was put my course deadline on a calendar and match that with my personal calendar and I set up a notification for at least three days before the assignment. I bookmarked my Nexford dashboard on my system because I’m mostly on my system. I logged-in at least once a day and got at least one hour of reading. I also looked at the assignment criteria a lot. I looked at the rubrics because it really helped me to understand what is needed out of my assignment because I wasn’t doing this just for the certificate, I actually want to set up my own business after my MBA.



Afolake Ismaila

HR Consultant, Workforce Group

I schedule a minimum of 20 hours a week to study and prepare my assignments. What I also do is to ensure that I create time to join the weekly online classes for clarification, and also to ensure that I submit my coursework before due dates.



Lotanna Anolue

Co-Founder, Lotan Technologies Limited

I did lots of late-night readings. I reduced my leisure hours because I’m pretty sure that I was going to conclude the program within one year so I worked within that limit. At the end of the day, I think my experience in Nexford was very fulfilling and the skills I also gained from Nexford were all practical skills, contemporary skills, skills that are required in the modern workspace.



Ogechi Igbani

Public Relations and Communications Executive, Anchor Consults

My study routine involved certain specific goals. For each week, I had a certain number of hours that I set aside for daily study and also a timeframe for when I am supposed to work on my module assignments and submit them. If you’re going to succeed at Nexford, you have to be time conscious, you have to pay attention to the time differences, and not just think that you can slack it away.