For students who have the time management skills to balance work, personal life and online classes, an online Master of Business Administration can be a great career-advancing option. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s online MBA program with a Management specialization can be completed while you continue pursuing your career.
The 100% online MBA program teaches critical leadership skills like resource management and decision-making skills. If you are planning to enroll in SIUE’s online MBA program but have concerns about your time management abilities, this overview will provide key tips and advice on how you can spend your time more effectively.
Why Online Students Need Time Management Skills
When online degree programs emphasize “convenience” and “flexibility,” it’s easy to forget that the vast majority are just as academically rigorous as their brick-and-mortar counterparts. In fact, online courses can be even more challenging for students who work full time while studying after work and on the weekend.
As any busy graduate student will tell you, time is a finite resource. Students enrolled in an online MBA program have to carefully allocate time to their studies in order to be successful. If you don’t allocate time properly, you may find yourself falling behind.
The good news is that time management is a skill, and any skill can be learned. The online continuing education resource eLearningIndustry noted three important traits that can be cultivated well into adulthood.
- Persistence: Persistence is the key factor that will see you through your transition into a time-management-savvy graduate student. Persistent people do not give up. If you find yourself falling behind on assignments, persistence will see you through to achieving your goals.
- Dedication: In order to transform your time management abilities, you will have to dedicate the next few years to improving them.
- Motivation: If you find yourself faltering along the way, remember what motivated you to enroll in an online MBA program in the first place. That motivating force will vary from one person to another. Try not to focus on superficial motivations. Fulfillment, financial independence and a better quality of life are three great motivators.
4 Time Management Tips Every Online Student Needs to Know
Now that you have decided to improve your time management skills, these four tips can lead to concrete improvements in how well you allocate time.
- Check in daily: You won’t have time to work on your courses every day, but a good student routine involves checking in online daily to see updates from your professor and notes from your classmates.
- Stay ahead: If you’re only viewing coursework a few days ahead of time, you may not be able to invest the required time and effort for major projects and you could end up missing deadlines announced months in advance.
- Ask for help: If you don’t understand a topic, speak up. Strong online programs pride themselves on faculty who welcome questions from students. In fact, asking questions shows you are engaged with the coursework at hand.
- Make a plan: Buy a calendar and pencil in your goals. The same can be done with an online calendar.
And finally, schedule breaks and time for leisure activities like reading or walking. Those little “recharge” moments can help you power through to your new MBA graduation date.
Apply Your Time Management Skills With an Online Degree from SIUE
With a few lifestyle changes and a renewed focus on time management, anyone can improve their time allocation habits. Those skills will be important as you navigate online coursework while balancing work and personal life. Along the way, you’ll have the support of your online cohort and the SIUE faculty to lend support and advice. Once you have graduated from SIUE’s online MBA program, you can apply those same time management skills to your new career.
Learn more about SIUE’s online MBA programs.
Sources:
U.S. News & World Report: 4 Time Management Tips for Online Students
eLearningIndustry: The Importance of Time Management in Online Learning
