One of the most alarming factors of enrolling at a Distance Learning institution must surely be the anxiety you experience about where or how to start, in order to complete within the specific contract period. The most common difficulty students experience, is the simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work, which is caused by not working or studying to a plan or a regular study routine. The first step in managing your time effectively is to plan ahead and to set specific attainable objectives for yourself.

Start by drawing up a monthly, weekly and daily timetable. The advantages of a timetable are the savings in time and effort, and the efficiency, which results from taking an overall view of your total workload.

• Write all important tests, deadlines and activities on a large monthly calendar. Place it at your study area, where it will be clearly visible to you.
• Determine how much study time you have at your disposal per week, writing down everything you have to do during the following week (e.g. job, meetings, urgent visits, important social gatherings, recreation activities, family time, relaxing, eating, sleeping etc.)
• If you have a full-time job, try to study at least 6 hours per week. Those who do not have a full-time job need to invest more time.
• Consult your monthly planner, and decide which subject you should deal with during the week, and which section of work you should master every day.
• Remember to limit your straight study time to no longer than one hour. It is important to take a ten-minute break between study periods to refresh yourself, and give your mind a rest.
• Be aware of your energy level in terms of whether you are a morning or evening person and plan accordingly.
• Eliminate time wasters.
• Avoid procrastination, e.g. "I'll do it tomorrow".
• Divide your studying into smaller sections/goals. This helps to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Setting smaller goals makes the task more manageable and less complex.
• Make a huge effort to stick to your timetable!