How do AIU students find time for coursework?
Life is busy, but it is possible to pursue a degree with some planning and time management. Below, you’ll see how three types of busy lifestyles make it work.
The Part-Timer
She may work part time, but this wife and mother of two has a life that moves at a full-time pace. Since she is constantly shifting gears, AIU’s learning tools are the perfect fit for her start-and-stop lifestyle.
7 a.m.
The day begins with breakfast and an intellipath® assessment. This adaptive learning platform allows her to skip over what she already knows so she can focus on what she needs to learn.
8 a.m.
The kids are at school, so the house is nice and quiet. This provides a great environment for her to participate in a live chat with a professor and classmates.
9 a.m.
She starts her part-time job. While working, thoughts of how to approach a paper are in the back of her mind.
1 p.m.
Break time isn’t very long, but she begins doing some research on her tablet and takes notes for a paper that’s due next week.
3 p.m.
Work is over and it’s time to pick up the kids and head to soccer practice. Between plays, she uses the AIU Mobile App to see the latest assignments and updates from her professor.
6 p.m.
While waiting for dinner to come out of the oven, she has a quick conversation with her professor via instant messaging.
7 p.m.
She helps out the kids with their homework and visits AIU’s Learning Lab, which provides tips on how to write her next paper.
8 p.m.
Tomorrow, she has a meeting with Career Services to get feedback on her resume and interview tips. After putting the kids to bed, she reworks her resume.
9 p.m.
It’s back-to-school mode. Now that the kids are asleep, there’s no better time to finish her paper and submit assignments to meet the week’s deadline.
11 p.m.
The day is over and it’s time for a well-deserved night’s sleep.
1. Based on median weekly earnings. http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm(visited 8/6/2018). These are national projections covering all levels of experience; conditions in your area may be different.
The Full-Timer
Life is busy, but it is possible to pursue a degree with some planning and time management. Below, you’ll find three different lifestyles that make it work.
6 a.m.
The alarm goes off and it’s time to start the day. This multitasking master fires up the computer so she can listen to a lecture while getting ready for work.
7 a.m.
She wakes up the kids to get ready for school and serves them breakfast.
8 a.m.
After getting the kids to the bus stop, she hops on the train to work. Before enrolling at AIU, listening to music helped pass the commute time. Now she emails a professor from her smartphone.
12 p.m.
Lunchtime is a virtual meeting of the minds. From her computer, AIU’s chat feature allows her to discuss a group project with classmates all over the country.
5 p.m.
7 p.m.
Dedicated students deserve a break. She takes one by having dinner with her family.
8 p.m.
While the kids do their homework, she digs into hers. From the comfort of her home, she uses AIU’s virtual library to do research for a paper and chats with classmates on a discussion board.
11 p.m.
Lights out on another busy yet productive day. Sure, it was packed, but she was able to balance it all in a way that fits her life best.
This schedule depicts a hypothetical student and represents traits common across AIU's student body.
The Military Servicemember
The military servicemember puts the active in active duty. Although he dedicates daytime to serving his country, he devotes nighttime to his education.
0400
Since he has to be in formation for PT at 0600, he wakes up early to work on a school project, reviewing the assignment and dictating thoughts into his smartphone’s voice recorder.
0600
Today is squad PT followed by a day at the range. He looks forward to it because he doesn’t have to run in formation listening to screaming cadences.
0800
The busy day ahead requires a good breakfast. While eating in the mess hall, he pulls out his laptop and hops onto a discussion board to start a dialog on his latest project.
0900
Duty calls and he heads to the range for most of the day.
1200
Chow time isn’t long and today, it’s dreaded Tuna MRE. He swaps it for fajitas with a newbie and opens an e-book to catch up on reading for class.
1800
He’s back from the range, so he cleans his weapons and turns them into the arms room. Before being released, he logs in and views a video tutorial from class instead of watching TV.
1900
Now that he’s been released, it’s time for a virtual meeting with his classmates to discuss their group project. Afterward, he works on his part of the assignment and incorporates feedback from his classmates.
2200
Final duty for the night - submit an assignment to his professor to be graded.
These are hypothetical students who represent traits common across AIU's student body.
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"The online option attracted me to AIU. The online atmosphere was great. AIU provided the tools and all the different resources to help me be successful in my degree."
- Anthony Wheatley
MBA 2018
Classes Start September 30, 2020