I have been teaching online classes for several years and it doesn't matter if it is the students first college course or students taking courses in a graduate program, time management is always a challenge. I make it a point during the first week of class to discuss time management and offer different strategies that can be of benefit including the course assignment schedule with due dates. I also post weekly announcements stating the different assignments that are due along with the actual due date as well as reminders as the due dates gets closer. I offer sample schedules and actually have them complete one for the upcoming week. This makes them account for everything that happens in their daily lives - eating, showering, traveling, work, school work, house cleaning, chores, sleeping, other priorities along with scheduling time for themselves to relax and have fun. I also emphasize how much time they should be devoting to course work whether it be reading or actually completing assignments. I encourage them to set up a routine where they work a little bit each day rather than trying to complete everything in a few days. I send reminder emails and announcements regarding assignments to serve as a gentle push. Time management is essential for the online student. Once a student falls behind, it is challenging to get caught up because most online courses move quickly and require a good amount of work to be completed. Falling behind can be very overwhelming and this is why time management skills are so important. Jean