We asked some of our past and current students to share their thoughts and opinions, to give their feedback on how they handled the challenges of online learning. Hopefully, this will help you to make an informed decision.
There is no better way but to learn from those who came before and see if what worked for them will help you become a better student!
Who are you, really?
I am Anicet.
Which Uni are you studying with?
University of Cumbria
Which programme did you choose and why?
Energy & Sustainability. Chose this to acquire skills and knowledge in environment impact assessments and protection.
The Study Plan
How did you plan to study each module, and what was the reality? How many hours did/do you have to put in each day/or in a week?
I took one module at a time. Depending on the volume of reading and assignments, spent on average 2 hours a day
What part of the day did/do you find most suitable to study? (e.g. early mornings, lunch break, evenings, weekends?)
Early morning and lunch break
How much time did you devote to each assignment?
Research, book/articles selection and reading, writing and reviewing took a lot of time. I would say on average 40 hours per week.
Travelling and Communication
How did travelling impact your ability to study?
Except the time seating on the plane, no major impact as long as I was connected to the Internet
How were you able to interact with peers and/or professors given the time differences?
It was not a big deal since I spent most of the time in Kinshasa, DR Congo.
A typical day as a master’s student
What does a typical day as an Online Masters’ student look like for you?
Wake-up at 5:00 AM. Meditation, Gym and toilets till 6:40 AM. Breakfast at 7AM. Arrive at office at 8:30 AM. Stay at work till 6:00PM. Arrive at home at 6:25 PM. Diner at 8:00 PM and bed at 10:00PM
Any advice you have for students to better plan their studies.
Prepare and start reading materials/books ahead of time. Do not wait until last minute to work on your assignment. Avoid overloading oneself with many modules at a time.
I hope this blog has answered some of your questions, and please watch this place for similar blogs. So, if you have been thinking about doing a master’s degree and now understand how to study better for an online programme, look at our programmes and see if anything interests you.