Success in a self-teaching situation usually involves being well organized. Set aside a number of relatively short, definite periods each week for course study—don’t do it all in one block. If completed over one semester, this course should take you about five to seven hours each week. 

Most students find that working in one-hour chunks on a regular basis is better than putting in three- or four-hour marathons once in a while. You also need to allow sufficient time to prepare for each test.

To help you organize your time so that you can work through the course at an even pace, you may want to develop your own study schedule.