Managing your workload

Some people are concerned about how they are going to manage their study workload, along with work, family and other commitments. The best thing about studying a degree online is that you can study at a time that best suits you; you don't need to attend weekly lectures or tutorials that may conflict with other commitments. You control and manage your own study and progress. 

If you find the idea of being in control of your own study a bit daunting, don't worry, there is always someone who can help you. Your lecturers and tutors are always available to help you with any problems you may encounter throughout your subjects and degree. The online discussion board on elearning is also a very useful resource that enables you to communicate not only with your lecturers and tutors, but also with the rest of your class. A lot of the time you will find another student is having a similar problem or that another student can answer your questions. Many students also use the discussion board to ask their peers for advice on work-related problems and projects.

Feedback from students has shown that the workload is manageable if you utilise all of the resources available to you and manage your time effectively. However, the University understands that sometimes there are circumstances out of your control that prohibit you from completing assessment tasks on time and an Academic Consideration Policy is in place for such circumstances. There are conditions that must be met before you can apply for Academic Consideration and you should familiarise yourself with the policy.

Study Resources and Help

We understand that some postgraduate students have not studied for a few years and may be nervous or concerned about expectations in regards to assessments, exams and study. The University has a number of resources available to help make the transition back into studying easier for you. 

The Learning Development site is a free service for students and provides you with information on time management, essay writing, referencing, exam preparation tips and much more. The Online Study Resource links will be most helpful.

The Current Students site has a wide range of information for students. The Study Information site in particular has information on plagiarism, referencing, thesis writing and more.

The Library website is also a great resource and among other things, provides student access to online journal articles, which can be very helpful for assignments and exams. For Rolling Stock specific resources, please refer to the following link: Rolling Stock Resources for Assignments