Taking online courses can be extremely rewarding, as they give you the chance to learn new things and work toward a degree that may not be available at your local school. However, one of the biggest challenges when taking Courses Online can be maintaining your focus on the coursework, especially if you’re juggling a job or other commitments in addition to your schoolwork. Use these five guides for staying focused while taking online courses to keep from falling behind and failing out of your online classes.

1) Create A Schedule and Stick to It

Sticking to a schedule is not always easy, but it’s important to have some sort of plan if you want to stay on track with your coursework. Set aside time each day when you’ll study. This will allow you time to avoid distractions and ensure that you don’t procrastinate too much. It also helps break up the monotony of studying all at once.

2) Set Small, Achievable Goals

Set small, achievable goals that you can easily accomplish. For example, if your goal is to get through a 20-page reading assignment, don’t set the goal of reading 40 pages. Once you finish 20 pages, give yourself a pat on the back and move on to the next task.

3) Take Breaks

Taking breaks is one of the best ways to stay focused while taking online courses. Breaks can come in the form of anything, from a quick walk around the block to checking your phone messages. Moreover, it’s important to set a time limit on each break as well. For example, you might decide that you’ll take a five-minute walk after working for 45 minutes straight.

4) Find A Study Partner

Find a study partner. It’s hard to stay focused when you’re sitting in front of a computer screen all day, but it can be even more difficult if you are the only one in the room. Plus, having someone to check in with about how the courses online is going can really help keep you on track. Make A To-Do List: To-do lists might sound basic and old fashioned, but they work really well. They help organize your tasks and remind you what needs to get done.

5) Get Plenty of Sleep

I know it might be tough to stay up late when you have to work the next day or your family is making a lot of noise, but try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. The quality and quantity of sleep has been shown to have a significant effect on both mental and physical performance. There are also some great apps that can help you wake up in the morning, I’ve found that Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock works really well for me.