How to schedule an online lesson overseas

Trying to book a lesson with a student overseas can get confusing quickly. A time that works for you might land in the middle of the night for them, and daylight saving changes can shift the difference by an hour.

Compare the current time in both places, then choose a slot using the student's local time as well as your own. The World Clock can help you see the time in each location side by side.

Find a lesson time that works for both of you

1. Open the World Clock and select the city or time zone where you teach and the city or time zone where the student lives. Use the student's actual location, not just the country, because some countries have more than one time zone.
2. Look for a time that falls within reasonable waking hours for both people. Start with the student's preferred hours, such as after school or early evening, and check what those hours are for you.
3. Compare a few possible slots. Check whether each works on the day you plan to teach, especially if either location changes clocks for daylight saving time.
4. Agree on the date and time in writing. Include both time zones, for example, “Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in Denver, 9:00 p.m. in New York.” Add the same details to the calendar invitation and video call message.
5. For a recurring lesson, confirm whether the time should stay fixed on the clock or fixed relative to the student's local schedule. Recheck the conversion when either location changes clocks.

A city name is often easier to recognize than an abbreviation such as EST or IST. Abbreviations can refer to different places, and some change when daylight saving time begins. For more examples of planning across locations, see how to coordinate an international call.

Choose a slot that fits both schedules

The lesson is at a reasonable hour for both people

This is usually the best option. Check the student's school, work, and travel schedule as well as your own. A time that looks convenient on the clock may conflict with dinner, a commute, or a regular activity.

The best time for the student is too early or too late for you

Offer two or three alternatives rather than asking the student to solve the conversion. If there is no overlap during normal waking hours, consider alternating between two suitable times or meeting less often. Do not assume the student can regularly attend at an inconvenient hour.

The time difference changes during the year

Some places observe daylight saving time and others do not. When one location changes its clocks, the difference between you can change for part of the year. The date of the change is not the same everywhere, so check the calendar for the specific week instead of relying on a conversion you made months ago.

The location uses an unusual offset

Not every time zone is a whole number of hours from UTC, the global reference time. Some locations use a half-hour or 45-minute offset. Compare the city or named time zone directly rather than rounding to the nearest hour. See why some time zones use half-hour offsets.

Prevent time mix-ups

1. Write the time zone beside each time. Avoid sending “6 p.m.” on its own. Include the city or a full time zone name so both people can check what the invitation means.
2. Use an invitation that includes a location time zone. In a calendar app, set the event to the correct date and time zone. Many calendar apps then show the event in each attendee's local time. Check the preview before sending, and ask the student to confirm the time they see.
3. Turn on automatic date and time. A device with the wrong time zone can display invitations incorrectly. On Windows 11, go to Settings › Time & language › Date & time and turn on automatic time zone if available. On macOS, open System Settings › General › Date & Time and enable automatic time and time zone settings.
4. Check the phone used for reminders. On an iPhone, look in Settings › General › Date & Time. On Android, look under Settings › System › Date & time, though the menu name can vary by manufacturer. Automatic time zone helps keep reminders aligned when traveling.
5. Confirm changes directly with the student. If the lesson is recurring, send a short reminder after a clock change or when either person travels. Do not assume a calendar invitation was updated correctly.
6. Leave a small buffer around the lesson. A five or ten minute gap can help if the student joins late because of a missed reminder or a time conversion mistake. For a first meeting, confirm the local start time the day before.

When you send the invitation, state the student's local time first and your time second. This makes the schedule easier to verify and gives both of you a clear reference if the clocks change.