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How to Manage Online Classes for CRNA School and Staying Motivated

A

Ashley, CRNA

CRNA

· Updated · 6 min read
How to Manage Online Classes for CRNA School and Staying Motivated
In This Article (4 sections)

Managing online classes for CRNA school requires discipline, effective time management, and breaking down materials into manageable chunks to stay motivated. The CRNA Club offers practical tips to help you organize your asynchronous coursework and maintain motivation throughout your program. If you're still early in your journey, you might want to check out our guide on How to Become a CRNA for a step-by-step overview.

Quick Answer

Many of the 154 CRNA programs tracked by The CRNA Club include asynchronous online coursework, making self-paced time management a required skill. Block your week into focused study chunks by class, break long lectures across multiple days, and map all deadlines on a visual calendar each term.

How Do You Plan Your CRNA School Week?

Calendar, map out each week (my fav for this was using a whiteboard calendar that I should easily change out each month!) The first thing I would do at the start of a semester/quarter, is write out all the due dates for assignments and all of the exam dates. From there, I would work on a weekly calendar to focus my time. One of the biggest tips I have for asynchronous classes is to split up the workload into bite-sized chunks.

It can be overwhelming to try to plan for 3 or 4 classes every week, but I found a method that worked for me (and that hopefully works for you too). If you're comparing which programs might fit your style best, our Free School Database lets you compare requirements side by side.

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How Do You Break Up Long Lectures in CRNA School?

Breaking up lectures (my fav for tracking this was using Notion’s online weekly calendar template!) Something that really made me appreciate asynchronous classes was the fact that I could break up the lectures into multiple days. My Physiology lectures would sometimes be 3-4 hours long! As someone who has a hard time sitting still for extended periods of time, my asynchronous classes actually worked in my favor.

I would split my days up into hours, and then split my hours up into focusing on each class for that allotted time. Breaking up the material into these easily digestible pieces really helped me stay motivated and made the material less overwhelming. If you want to make sure you're meeting all the CRNA School Requirements while planning your schedule, it's helpful to double-check the prerequisites and expectations in advance.

For example, I would listen to hour 1 of my Physiology lecture on Monday and take notes on it in Notability, then the second half Tuesday, some lectures will be that long. Then, in my second block of studying Phys that day, I would make questions and answers out of the material you already listened to. Do that for all your classes.

Get through at least (2) 1hr blocks of each class every single day. every third hour, take a longer break (ex: an hour for a lunch break), then right back into it. That’s at least 6 hours of studying a day. If you can do more, do more.

I started cutting myself off around 7-8pm each day because I was so exhausted and wasn’t retaining any of the info. For me personally, I realized studying after 8pm was not beneficial. I would get too tired and burnt out.

Instead, I would take an hour to watch a TV show I liked or do my nails or catch up with friends. There comes a point where it’s not beneficial to stay awake to try to finish something. Your sleep is of utmost importance!

Real life example. You can format a table in Word, or find templates on Notion or Notability, or even use Google Cal/To-Do list, etc etc.

Plan your CRNA application timeline—if you want some extra perspective, we actually talked about this on the podcast (Ep 2: "3 things I would have done differently BEFORE applying to CRNA school" on Apple Podcasts).

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8-9a Physiology: Listen to Hour 1 of Lecture Physiology: Listen to Hour 2 of Lecture Physiology: Listen to Hour 3 of Lecture Wash, rinse, repeat Wash, rinse, repeat
9-10a Pharm: Listen to Hour 1 of Lecture Pharm: Listen to Hour 2 of Lecture Pharm: Active recall on questions made
10-11a POA: Listen to Hour 1 of Lecture POA: Listen to Hour 2 of Lecture POA: Active recall on questions made
11a-12p Sim Lab: Write out machine checkoff steps from pre-recorded video Sim Lab: Write out machine checkoff steps from memory Sim Lab: Write out machine checkoff steps from memory
12-1p LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH
1-2p Physiology: Make questions from Hour 1 of Lecture Physiology: Make questions from Hour 2 of Lecture Physiology: Make questions from Hour 3 of Lecture
2-3p Pharm: Make questions from Hour 1 of Lecture Pharm: Make questions from Hour 2 of Lecture Pharmacology: Active recall on questions made
3-4p POA: Make questions from Hour 1 of Lecture POA: Make questions from Hour 2 of Lecture POA: Active recall on questions made
4-5p Sim Lab: Write out machine checkoff steps from memory Sim Lab: Practice in Sim Lab Sim Lab: Review machine checkoff out loud with a friend
5-6p DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER
6-7p Physiology: Create tables/cheat sheets for comparison Physiology: Create tables/cheat sheets for comparison Physiology: Active recall on questions made
7-8p Pharm: Create tables/cheat sheets for comparison POA: Create tables/cheat sheets for comparison Pharm: Quiz yourself on tables/cheat sheets

What Apps Help You Succeed in CRNA Online Classes?

Spaced repetition Notion or Anki for spaced repetition Turn PowerPoints into questions (post an example) Ali Abdaal on YouTube for how to setup Anki, as well as how to use Notion I highly recommend watching these videos and getting acquainted with which study methods you are going to set up before you begin the program! It will be difficult to learn a new system while also learning all the information CRNA school throws at you In Notion, you can color-code the questions based on their difficulty (ex: green = easy, orange = medium, red = difficult) similar to how Anki has their spaced repetition buttons. If you’re curious about the differences between DNP, DNAP, and PhD, our Learning Library has a full lesson on this called DNP vs. DNAP vs. PhD.

Example: Cheat sheets Notion!! It is super easy to make tables for quick comparisons. You can then download them as PDFs and import into Notability to study/refe. And if you want a deeper dive into what programs require, check out the Program Requirements lesson for a full breakdown.

For more information, check these trusted resources: Council on Accreditation (COA), NBCRNA. And if you’re wondering what CRNA schools are really looking for in an applicant, we covered this in detail on the podcast (Ep 1: "What CRNA Schools are REALLY looking for in an applicant" on Apple Podcasts).

Our Final Thoughts

Managing online classes in CRNA school can be challenging, but with discipline, organization, and the right tools, you can thrive in an asynchronous learning environment. Remember to pace yourself, prioritize your well-being, and use resources available through The CRNA Club to keep you motivated and on track. If you’re still deciding if this path is right for you, we also talked about it on the podcast (Ep 6: "5 signs CRNA school is right for YOU" on Apple Podcasts). You’ve got this!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many CRNA programs are there in the US?

There are approximately 140 accredited nurse anesthesia programs in the United States, offering either DNP or DNAP degrees. You can compare all of them in our free CRNA School Database.

How do I choose the right CRNA program?

Consider location, tuition, NCE pass rates, class size, clinical rotation sites, and admission requirements. Our School Database lets you filter and compare all 140+ programs by these criteria.

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Key Features of CRNA Programs that I Wish I Knew When I Was Applying

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