[Thursday's Child]

A little worried as I start my off campus degree next year. I have studied off campus before but couldn't stay motivated. I'm wondering how others here manage to stay motivated when you don't have to go to lectures or tutes? On campus study is not an option for me at the moment.

So how do you do it?

[Mixed_Spice]

lol, i'm writing this while procrastinating from a 2,500 word lab report. But the thing that helps me is making schedules (and actually sticking to them), doing work in different locations i.e. might read outside on a beautiful day or in the bath. As well as making sure you have moments where you don't do anything! Such as study free sunday, free friday etc.

[Apageintime]

I make sure i set aside a dedicated time for uni each week.

ie monday 5-9pm. and make sure I stick to that, no excuses.

I find engaging with the work reguarly and not just leaving it to exam or assignment time makes me stay focussed on it at least and keeps it at the front of my mind.

I also try and set up study groups with people doing the subject in my area if possible. Even if we only email each other its helpful for me.

[casime]

I'm a terrible procrastinator, but I just keep trying to imagine how great things will be when I finally get finished and how much it will change mine and DSs life. That's the only thing that keeps me going back to it. Good luck.

[~Nodnol~]

I'm a terrible procrastinator, but I just keep trying to imagine how great things will be when I finally get finished and how much it will change mine and DSs life. That's the only thing that keeps me going back to it. Good luck.

Pretty much this. I remind myself it isn't just me that will benefit from my study, that helps keep me going.

Also, I keep to a fairly strict routine. All assignments are given a specific amount of time to get done and I just knuckle down and do it. It helps to have someone on your back a bit too- my husband is great at telling me to get back to work and off facebook.

And Facebook. If you can find a group that is doing your subject they can be invaluable at keeping you on course and to bounce ideas off of. I love my groups- there is always someone to answer a question that isn't really suitable for moodle or the lecturer.

That said, sometimes you will just think "screw it" and not even look at your books for a week. Which is o.k every now and again.

[jacqg]

My DH did a degree via distance while looking after DD1 as I went back to work when she was 6 months old.

Other than keeping focussed on how great it would be once he finished like others have mentioned, he got onto the uni discussion boards to connect with other students. Once he made a few contacts, they would set up a skype call or a chat room meeting and talk about the assignments and bounce ideas off each other and then each go away and do however much of an assignment and then get together again. It made it all a lot less isolating and the deadline of meeting again meant that he didn't leave everything until the last minute.

Also, it turned out that some students lived within an hour from us so they were able to share text books and meet in person too.

I'm 99.9% sure that if he hadn't made those contacts with other students, he wouldn't have done nearly as well because he would have spent most of the time procrastinating alone.