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Three Weeks In – Tips to Share

The first full week of classes in the Jenkins Online MAC program felt overwhelming at first. There is definitely a learning curve adjusting to remote education, largely because your schedule is less defined than an in person format. This takes some additional planning, but the beauty of it is that you can watch lectures and complete assignments when it best suits your schedule. 

I am slowly learning how to schedule my week to promote productivity while setting boundaries to prevent burnout. Here are some of my pro-tips for online education:

  • Export assignment due dates from your school online platform to your Google Calendar – I highly recommend using this feature.
  • Create a list of every assignment and reading due for the upcoming week. 
  • Prioritize what needs to be done first.
  • Assign the days and times for each task to be completed by creating events in G-calendar. Schedule your time blocks for slightly longer than you think you’ll need to avoid getting stressed by a time crunch.
  • Invest in computer glasses.
  • Schedule time to relax. 
  • Grab a buddy! 

To help me stay on track, I reached out to a friend and fellow online program MAC student. We keep each other accountable with assignment deadlines, mandatory zoom sessions, and whatever else might pop up throughout the week! Additionally, each course involves an element of group work. The group assignments reflect the reality that we will work in teams for the rest of our career. As Scott Showalter, Director of the MAC program, likes to say, “accounting is a team sport.” The group doubles as an additional resource to keep track of deadlines, and is a great way to network and meet other students. 

Even as an online program student I’ve benefited from significant interaction with both faculty and my peers. Each MAC student is paired with a faculty mentor to discuss school, career path, and life!  I appreciate the availability of professors in Zoom office hours and the opportunities  the professors create for live class discussions. I’ve taken advantage of a number of these sessions already! In ACC 519, Applied Financial Management, we meet with Professor Bonnie Hancock weekly for class discussions. 

This week is the first wave of presentations and group cases. Will let you all know how that goes. Thanks for checking in on my journey! 

Until next time,
Sarah