Since my online high school study routine was so popular, I wanted to write a post about my online college study routine to share with you how I study to keep my 4.0 GPA!
This is the routine and the tips I use to keep my good grades and be done faster with classes online.
Note: How quickly you can go through classes depends on the type of online college you are attending. If you’re studying at a normally in-person university, but you’re only right now because of the pandemic, you might not be able to work ahead, whereas at full online colleges you can work as little or as much as you want to.
I just wanted to clarify that, since I am currently enrolled at an online-only university, which means I can get my degree done as quick or slow as I want.
Click here for my guide to online classes in college.
MY DAILY STUDY SCHEDULE
8 am: Wake up and get dressed
8:30 am: Eat breakfast and check my phone
9 am: Get out my bullet journal and review the to-do list I wrote the previous day
9:15-12pm: Study whatever is on my list – that’s either taking notes or writing an assignment
12-1 pm: Lunch and short break
1-4 pm: Study or work on my blog, depending how quick I am with finishing a section of a class
after 4 pm: Whatever I feel like doing, sometimes I study more to finish a section, or I work on my blog, do a workout, make Instagram reels, talk to my boyfriend, etc.
12 pm: Go to bed. I tried my best to not stay up past 12, although usually I do haha.
Now, that is a vague daily routine and an example of a productive day. On some days I have more commitments and can only study until noon.
How much you study really depends on your college. Like I said, some don’t allow you to work ahead.
If you are not an early bird, you can get up later and move your study sessions. The great thing about online classes is that you can study whenever it fits your schedule best.
Let’s get to my actual online college study routine now so you know how I studied effectively.
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My online college study routine
Summary of my college experience: I am a sophomore, rising junior, and studied at HPU in the United States. Because of the pandemic, our classes moved online, however, we could return in fall 2020 for in-person classes. BUT, I couldn’t go back in the spring semester because of restrictions, so I took a leave of absence and enrolled at a UK online-only university where I am completing a year of classes before the next academic year starts.
Btw, I study Business Entrepreneurship:)
Now, getting back to my study routine.
This university allows me to study everything in my own pace, which is what I wanted because my goal is to finish a year of classes in basically a semester.
That looked like this:
There are 10 modules (courses) I need to complete, as well as 8 assignments. Here is a list of things I do to get that done:
- I check the assignment guide where all assignments and the required classes for each are listed
- Then, I choose a class to study
- I read the information and watch the videos while taking notes
- I take the multiple-choice test at the end of each module (course)
Studying a class for about 4-6 hours a day, I finish my notes in max. 1 week. Nice, right? That means I finish an entire course in 1 week at the most!
But that doesn’t mean it goes that fast. The assignments need to be around 5,000-8,000 words each, so that takes a little longer.
Completing Assignments
For assignments, I:
- Check the required classes for each assignment
- Download the assignment brief that states the headings and the scenario
- I review the indicative content (what topics I need to cover for each heading)
- Then, I read the example assignment to get an idea of the length and the topics
- I start writing the assignment by writing the headings first
- Then I do research and refer to my notes to write the assignments
- I also do the merit and distinction tasks (basically to get an A), so my assignments are usually between 8,000 and 11,000 words including the bibliography. Yep, that’s a lot! But you get used to it and write more words in less time with practice.
So far, I have completed all classes and 6 out of 8 assignments. I started on January 20th and today is April 17th, so that’s 4 months!
Here is a snapshot of how one of my modules (courses) is set up:
Then, I had a multiple-choice test after each course, with 30 questions and 60 minutes time. I usually aimed to finish one of those headings in the screenshot above. Depending on how long and how complex it was, I was able to do that. Some days I even finished half a course.
How I take notes for online classes
Basically, I just take note of the most important terms, takeaways, and information. Also, I try to make diagrams and charts and color them in, to make it easier to refer back to it.
When I take notes, I use different colored pastel highlighters to mark important terms, headings, and formulas. I use pastel cause I think it looks better than neon colors but that’s just my personal preference.
Here is a picture of my notes for financial management:
For studying for a test, I would just read my notes and take the test. I was lucky at my online university because the tests are open-note and I could use my notes for them. That might be different for you though, so make sure you comply with any rules!
MY STUDY TIPS
- Set goals. It will be hard to achieve them without having them! You need a guideline to follow.
- Be persistent. If you don’t work for your goal, you won’t achieve it! Try to stick to your schedule and get your work done before doing other things.
- Reach out to teachers. They are there to help you! Yes it’s easier to ask a question in real life, but you do have teachers available, so use that to your advantage and don’t struggle with a problem too long.
- Take breaks. It’s okay not to study all day every day. If you are on a good track, take time off for fun stuff, you deserve it.
For more tips, check out these posts:
I hope this online college study routine helped you in creating your own routine!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me privately as well. My social media should be linked in the side bar:)
Check out my YouTube videos about online learning here:
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Until soon,
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