As an online only course provider from 2008, we realised very early on that we are onto something big, and that this mode of study is here to stay and the way of the future. As a pioneer in online health courses in Australia we were ahead of the times when it came to online learning.

We saw that many people choosing to study online need to juggle studies with young children or a demanding full-time job. They did not have the luxury just to be a student. So, the ability to multi-task studies with other important things is a given.

We have asked few of our successful graduates for some study tips to our students to accomplish the best possible outcome when there are few balls to juggle.

Here are their tips.

Melissa – Certificate in Naturopathy

I work fulltime and my job doesn’t give me any scope during the work hours to study. So, I have to allocate hours to study either in the evenings or weekends.

As achieving my dream of working in the natural health industry is non-negotiable, I made a plan for my studies which helped me complete the course successfully.

  • I have slotted in the hours of study in my calendar for 3 nights a week for 2 hours each and also Saturday about 4 hours. I strictly followed this routine and did not let anything interrupt this.
  • I made spreadsheets with details of what I am studying, any extra resources.
  • I made sure I completed and submitted minimum of 1 assignment per week.

I leave Sundays for relaxing, spending time with my partner, going on walks or hikes in nature so I am all ready for the week to come.

Sarah – Diploma of counselling

I have 2 kids under the age of 5 who I look after full time and also do few hours of work from home admin job. There is a lot I have to juggle with and still ensure I hit my study goals.

I keep aside the 2 days my kids go to kindy for my studies. I make sure I don’t do any household chores or going out these days. So, I can dedicate these hours to my course without being constantly interrupted.

As I have only these 2 days to concentrate on my studies, I make sure I am super organised with the course work.

  • I organise any zoom calls with my trainers for doing the practical assessments way ahead.
  • I make a list of all the tasks I want to achieve for those days and tick them off as I fulfill them.
  • I read all the resources for the unit and any questions I have I note them down so I can email them to my trainer for extra support.

Rob – Certificate in Human Nutrition

I am a fitness trainer, and I always get many questions from my clients surrounding nutrition and the diet plan they need to follow. While I have a decent knowledge of healthy diet, I thought it will be beneficial for me to do a structured course where I have access to a qualified professional as my tutor to ask the questions and learn more in depth.

I do lot of training early morning or after hours and weekends as I work around my client’s availability. I am normally exhausted in the evenings. However, I discovered that mid-morning to early afternoons I have relatively more time.

  • To make the most of this time, I allocated 3 weekdays to my studies, and I made sure I went either to the library with my laptop or a quiet place away from home where I can focus. It is very tempting to have a nap if I am home.
  • I made a timetable with the assignments I want to complete each week.
  • My ideal week would be studying the course notes for the first day and attempting the assignment the next day and if anything is challenging going back to the course notes or extra resources and completing the assignment the third day.
  • This worked wonderfully for me, and I was able to complete the course in about 35 weeks.

Hope these tips are helpful and inspire you hit your study goals more consistently.