I always pictured my graduate school career as one where I was able to attend classes and be on campus full time, with no other worries. The reality of life is that I am an online education student and rarely able to make it to campus. If you find yourself as an online student working a full-time job, time management can be quite difficult as you balance the stresses of life and grad school. Whether you are on campus or online, we are all just trying to figure it out. As a new grad school student, full time teacher, blogger and wife, I have a few tips that I use to help me balance all that life has to offer while doing the hard work of getting my master’s degree.  
 
My first tip for being successful at managing your time is to get a good planner. And I mean a GOOD planner. That is something different for everyone, and I really don’t have one I suggest above the rest. Planners are such a personal thing to me that I wouldn’t possibly know where to start. For me personally, I don’t mind spending a few bucks on a planner that will help me be organized, successful and that will have the heck used out of it. I prefer a planner that has the times listed hourly, so I can easily block out times for activities.  I also like to have a weekly and monthly view included, to help me go big picture to little picture. With your planner, I always start with all of my syllabus’ and writing every due date. This helps me to have an idea of what each week will look like as well as the semester as a whole. (Side tip: use different colors for different classes-it creates a visual distinction between your class work). This also helps me to plan out major projects so that I am not down to the wire on completing them. You should also include your major life events/non-negotiable things outside of school in your planner. Being a teacher, this would include fun nights, parent-teacher conferences, birthdays and major celebrations. Doing this always helps me to get a handle on what my semester will look like, as well as being able to proactively make time for everything I need to accomplish.
 
My second tip is to create a routine. Being in a routine helps to make sure you are able to get everything accomplished each week that needs to be done. Being an online education student, I don’t have a class to attend throughout the week, so blocking out that time is even more important in making sure my work gets done. Having a routine not only assures I get all of my graduate work done, but also that I have time built in for myself, my family and undedicated time where I can do whatever I want, because that is also important.
 
My last suggestion for making sure you manage your time well is to make sure that you include time for yourself, your family and your friends. Graduate school is a part of life, not the whole thing. Most grad students are passionate about what they do, but we cannot let that passion consume us-we have to save some of ourselves for those relationships around us that mean the most. All the knowledge in the world isn’t worth destroying our relationships. For me, that means scheduling in yoga classes a couple times a week, going on walks with my husband or catching dinner with my friends. Whatever your stress relief and life-building thing is, make sure you schedule that in and make time for it-it is entirely as important as completing your homework.
 
With everything that competes for our time, it is important that we take charge of where our time goes. Get a good planner-and use it! Make sure you know all your due dates and be proactive in completing them. Find a routine and make sure that you schedule time for yourself, your family and your friends. You will thank yourself later!

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India Morris
India is Masters student in the Department of Educational Psychology's Creativity and Cognition Online Program.