Create Your Online Learning Schedule
Barry the Study Dog needs help creating a motivating routine for online learning.
I know! Is it summer yet?!
Time to dust off your copy of Study Skills for Online Learning and remind yourself of the importance of creating a motivating routine for online learning. The sooner you figure out how to do online school efficiently, the sooner you can use your time away from in-person school to get smarter, sleep more, and do fun projects.
Online school is awesome! You still get to learn as much as you want, but you don’t have to commute or ask permission to use the bathroom.
What to Expect from Online Learning
Since this situation is hard on everyone – especially teachers with kids of their own – you’ll probably have fewer hours of instruction per day and less homework, which will leave you with more time to get better at living life on an increasingly complicated Earth.
If you go to a notoriously rigorous school, you might have at least four hours per day of real classes online and somewhat less required work than usual. If you go to a big public school in an economically diverse school district, you might only be assigned infrequent optional work that won’t even be graded.
The bottom line is that you’re gonna have tons of free time on your hands. Sweet! Now’s your chance to become a better version of yourself than you ever had time to back when you still felt obligated to let your friends distract you during your free period.
How to Create Your Online Learning Schedule
Compare the two sample online learning schedules below and decide which one is closer to what you want to accomplish until in-person school resumes. Then print a couple copies of the Weekly Schedule and design your own new routine by adjusting the sample schedules to fit your personal interests and assigning specific times of day to do each thing.
Online Learning Schedule #1 – Daily Online classes and required assignments
Weekdays
- Sleep – 9 hours
- Breakfast – 30 minutes
- Online classes – 5 hours
- Lunch – 30 minutes
- Homework – 2 hours
- Exercise – 1 hour
- Personal Projects – 2 hours
- Dinner – 1 hour
- Family, pets, and friends – 1 hour
- Chilling – 1 hour
- Bathroom etc. – 1 hour
Weekends
- Update study guides for 3-5 subjects for 15-45 minutes each – 2-3 hours
Online Learning Schedule #2 – Online postings and optional assignments
Weekdays
- Sleep – 9 hours
- Breakfast – 30 minutes
- Five subjects for 1 hour each, including a 10-15 minute break each hour, starting with a different subject every day – 5 hours
- Lunch – 30 minutes
- Personal Projects – 2 hours
- Exercise – 1 hour
- Chilling – 2 hours
- Dinner – 1 hour
- Family, pets, and friends – 2 hours
- Bathroom etc. – 1 hour
Weekends
- Update study guides for 3-5 subjects for 15-45 minutes each – 2-3 hours
Online Learning Recommendations by Subject
If you’re curious, motivated to be successful, or anticipating taking hard classes next year, you might need to supplement your assigned schoolwork with other ways of learning. Here are some fun and easy ways to get smarter:
- Math – Art of Problem Solving or Khan Academy
- Science – Bozeman Science videos and/or Khan Academy
- English – Read somewhat challenging fiction
- History – Read popular history books or watch movies with historical settings that interest you
- Foreign Language – Equal parts Duolingo, old-fashioned grammar study, and popular TV shows
- Spanish – Let me know if you want my original, fast-track, year-long curriculum free
