Is Your Online Degree Draining You? Here’s How To Stay Motivated

Is Your Online Degree Draining You? Here’s How To Stay Motivated

Updated on Mar 12, 2025 05:10 PM IST | #MBA

According to a Mckinsey June 2023 survey, 65 percent of students who preferred online learning experienced some aspect of virtual education, such as recorded lectures, easy-to-access resources, and the flexibility to balance work and studies. While the public perception of online learning is continuously changing daily, many still lose self-confidence and motivation to learn from them.

Is Your Online Degree Draining You? Here’s How To Stay Motivated
Is Your Online Degree Draining You? Here’s How To Stay Motivated

Online degree programmes in India are provided in multiple subject domains, including humanities, sciences, and management. Several UGC-approved online degrees from top universities help students gain industry-relevant skills, enhance career prospects, and secure leadership roles without disrupting their professional commitments.

While it is important to stay disciplined and create a strict schedule to enhance academic learning in online degree courses, flexibility also plays a key role in balancing studies with professional and personal commitments. Effective time management, self-motivation, and setting academic goals can further maximise learning outcomes.

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How to Stay Motivated and Disciplined in an Online Degree?

Lack of motivation is a common challenge for students pursuing an online degree as virtual education requires self-discipline and consistency. Without a structured classroom environment, students may struggle with time management and engagement. The following points highlight the ways to stay motivated and disciplined in an online degree:

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Set Clear Academic Goals

Setting a clear academic goal provides direction and purpose to progress continuously and stay motivated toward the target. Plan your specific academic calendar and set a time and date to complete a particular target.

Tips: Set short-term goals and long-term goals. UG students can complete assignments two days before the deadline and focus the remaining time on their semester exams. While PG students can divide their plans weekly, prepare for exams five days a week, and complete assignments on weekends.

Also Read: Can Online Degree Outpace Regular Degree?

Create a Dedicated Study Space

A well-organised study place enhances productivity and decreases distractions. Many times UG students face noisy environments at home, while PG students deal with jobs. Students must create a designated place where they can study focused and effectively.

Tips: Set a particular place at home where you will find peace and a silent environment. It can be your separate room, a particular corner of your home where you keep your books and study material. Don’t study in bed.

Follow a Structured Study Schedule

Create study plans for study timetables, and implement the plan effectively every day. Don’t give excuses for breaking the fixed schedule, follow it properly to help you to stay consistent and achieve your goals.

Tip: Irregular study schedules will not help you to achieve your goals. Plan properly from waking up in the morning till sleeping time.

Develop Strong Time Management Skills

Balancing studies, work, and personal life can be overwhelming. A working professional pursuing an online HR degree used a digital planner to manage deadlines. By prioritising tasks, she reduced stress and completed coursework efficiently.

Time management skills are most important to achieve your goals. Students need strong time management skills to balance their job, study and personal commitments.

Tips: Plan your daily and weekly routine properly, where you set a timer for each task. You can also use Google Calendar to remind yourself and avoid last-minute rushes.

Stay Engaged with Course Materials

Many times online learners lose their interstate because of virtual mode and the absence of physicality in online learning. In such time, students can participate in quizzes, watch related videos, and do some research on relevant topics to stay engaged with materials.

Tips: Participates actively in debates, discussions, and quizzes and asks queries in live lectures. Take notes in online lectures and search online resources related to your topic.

Avoid Procrastination and Stay Consistent

Procrastination is one of the most common challenges. Many times students delay assessments and projects, which creates stress and mental fatigue. Students should divide the task and set a particular time to complete the task.

Tips: Do not plan a big task, break it and divide and complete it within the time. Start working on your assignment five minutes before the scheduled time.

Celebrate Small Achievements and Stay Positive

Students should celebrate small achievements whenever they complete any task before the deadline. You can celebrate in many ways by treating yourself; this will enhance your motivation and encourage consistency.

Tips: Students should note this achievement that will help them to stay motivated. They should celebrate this achievement by spending some break-time on their hobbies.

Also Read: Pursue These Online Programs at Your Own Peril, Read on to Know Why

Key Strategies To Overcome Common Challenges in Online Learning

Online learning provides numerous opportunities and benefits, but it has many challenges. Many times students struggle with a lack of motivation, distraction, self-discipline, and time management. Below are some tips to overcome common challenges in online learning:

  • Track your progress weekly to boost your confidence and consistency level.
  • Break the task into smaller steps, give 25 minutes for the study, and take a 5-minute break, this will help to overcome procrastination.
  • If you struggle with maintaining focus, then consider working for 90 minutes followed by 20-minute active breaks. This method enhances productivity without causing burnout.
  • Utilise time management AI tools such as Todoist, Clockwise to prioritise tasks, stay organised, and maintain a productive study schedule.
  • Interact with peers and faculty by participating in live discussions, debates, and quizzes that help to enhance your network.
  • When you have to complete multiple tasks at the same deadline, then create an effective plan and divide time for each and complete it accordingly.
  • Maintain a consistent interest in staying engaged in live lectures while also utilising recorded sessions and study materials for enhanced learning.
  • Never hesitate to reach out to instructors for clarification or guidance when facing academic difficulties.
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An online degree plays an important role in providing numerous opportunities and shaping the future of students. Undergraduate and postgraduate students should follow these tips and strategies to stay focused on their studies, achieve success, and make the online learning experience knowledgeable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I stay motivated in an online degree?

Candidates are advised to make a fixed schedule, set clear goals, and implement their strategies effectively.

2. What are effective study techniques for online students?

Some of the effective study techniques are note-taking, discussions, and flashcards.

3. What is the best way to manage time for online learning?

Create a structured study plan by making a study calendar, dividing tasks, and completing the task at given times.

4. How can I avoid procrastination in online courses?

Divide the bigger task into small steps, set a deadline for each task, and implement your strategies effectively.

5. Is an online degree valid for jobs abroad?

An online degree is valid and recognised by employers abroad. Candidates must explore the opportunities that come with it.

Explore Top Universities Across Globe

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Questions related to MBA

Have a question related to MBA ?

Hi aspirant,

Here are some good private MBA colleges in Aligarh with good infrastructure and an affordable fee structure

  1. Institute of Technology & Management (ITM), Aligarh
  2. Mangalayatan University, Institute of Business Management
  3. Al-Barkaat Institute of Management Studies
  4. Vivekananda College of Technology and Management (VCTM)
  5. Shivdan Singh Institute of Technology and Management (SSITM)

Best Private MBA Colleges in Aligarh

You can also refer to the link attached above.

All the best!

Hi aspirant,

Faridabad, as part of the NCR, has a fair number of MBA institutes. Here are several Faridabad institutions that are well-known for their excellent infrastructure and reasonable tuition.

  1. DAV Institute of Management (DAVIM), Faridabad
  2. Lingaya's Vidyapeeth, Faridabad
  3. Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Faridabad
  4. MVN University, Faridabad
  5. Echelon Institute of Technology, Faridabad
  6. Aravali College of Engineering and Management (ACEM), Faridabad
  7. Satya Group of Institutions (SGI), Faridabad

Top MBA Colleges in Faridabad 2025

You can also refer to the link given above for more information on the same.

All the best!

MBA in Finance is one of the most sought after specializations and several colleges in India offer excellent academic quality along with strong placement support Some of the best institutions include Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad Indian Institute of Management Bangalore Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Management Lucknow These colleges have consistently recorded high placement rates with top recruiters from the banking consulting and financial services sector offering attractive salary packages Other top ranked private institutions include Xavier School of Management Jamshedpur Management Development Institute Gurgaon SP Jain Institute of Management and Research Mumbai and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies Mumbai These colleges offer excellent faculty corporate exposure internships and final placements in companies like Goldman Sachs JP Morgan Deloitte KPMG and many others Students are advised to appear for entrance exams like CAT XAT or NMAT and prepare well to get into these institutions The average placement salary in top colleges ranges between fifteen lakh to twenty five lakh per annum based on past records

Eligibility : Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university with at least 50% aggregate marks for Non-Sponsored category (45–50% for Sponsored). Final-year students can apply provisionally, submitting degree proof by October 31. Specialized MBA programs (e.g., Data Science, IT) may require relevant degrees like Engineering or Statistics with 50% marks.

Entrance Exams : Valid scores from CAT (85 percentile), MAT (650 for Non-Sponsored, 600 for Sponsored), XAT (85 percentile), CMAT (200), GMAT (550), or NMAT (250 for Non-Sponsored) are required. Alternatively, candidates can take the Amity Written Test.

Selection Process : Shortlisted candidates undergo Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). Some campuses may include essay writing to assess communication and analytical skills.

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