Through the #DILO series of blog posts, we have been bringing you insights into our master’s students’ lives, sharing their thoughts and opinions, ups and downs, and key learning points during their online studies. The whole idea behind this series is to make you aware of the realities of online studies and help you in decision making.
Here are a few insights and some words of wisdom that one of our online master’s students had to share from her own experience.
Which Uni are you studying at?
University of Cumbria
Which programme did you choose?
MBA in Educational Leadership
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 per term – based on 10 hours study per week, except for a mid-term and end-term assignments when an additional 10 hours over the weekend was necessary.
In addition, I devoted an extra 4 hours per week, every week towards my assignment, except for the final term when I was studying on an average of 3 – 4 hours per day to complete it.
What part of the day did/do you find most suitable to study? (e.g. early mornings, lunch break, evenings, weekends?)
I usually studied evenings and weekends to fit around my full-time employment.
How did travelling impact your ability to study?
Travelling did not impact my studies at all.
How were you able to interact with peers and/or professors given the time differences?
Yes – emails was the common means of communication for me.
How much time did you devote for each assignment?
I typically spent recommended 20 hours/week for each assignment.
What does a typical day as an Online Masters’ student look like for you?
I would goto full time work as normal every weekday, return and eat supper. Then I would study for 3 hours each evening. At the weekend, I spent at least one full day studying, with extra reading for about 3 hours on a Sunday.
Any advice you have for students to better plan their studies.
My advice will be to read as much as you are able to before you get into the module as then the time for each element becomes very short and you are expected to read and learn information very quickly in order to respond on the group message board.
It is much better to prepare well and not leave anything until the last moment – remember sometimes ‘Turn It In’ can take 24 hours to respond!
If you have been thinking of joining a master’s programme or have had this personal goal to gain a higher degree, now is the time! Take the valuable advice from our current students, gain from their experience, add your own unique study strategies, and make your own success stories! I would love to feature you one day on our college blog.
Chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information on all the programmes we offer, application process, and for information on discounts we might be offering at this time.