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How to succeed in an online MBA program

Practical success strategies for online candidates

3 min read

Edtech

How to succeed in an online MBA program

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This post is sponsored by King University Online.

Pursuing your MBA online is a significant investment of time, money, and other resources. To get the highest return possible:

  1. Manage your time. Your business and personal lives have a nasty habit of tossing a monkey wrench into your plans. For most students, an online MBA requires between 16 and 20 hours of schoolwork each week, so scheduling time for academics is crucial to success and maximum ROI. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun. MBA candidates say it’s crucial to schedule relaxation and social time to keep your emotional batteries charged.
  2. Make it a team effort. While you may not be able to get someone to cover for you at work, you should definitely line up support for your school and personal commitments. Classmates and small group members provide moral and academic support and motivation. In fact, the Online College Students 2018: Comprehensive Data on Demands and Preferences report found that 57% of past and current online students found interactions with classmates to be very important to academic success. Additionally, a supportive spouse or partner can ease some of the stress of competing household and family obligations.
  3. Manage expectations. Despite your best efforts at efficient scheduling and support, you’re going to have to miss some events and opportunities. Talk to your family and friends before starting your program to help them understand your situation. With a little bit of insight, they’ll be able to respect your need to bow out sometimes and be more supportive while you complete your program.
  4. Atomize your classwork. Take a page from the Agile methodology playbook and reduce every project to a set of small tasks. This makes it easier to make progress in small chunks rather than tackling one huge project. Set priorities based on tasks that carry the most value and can be done the fastest, a technique called weighted shortest job first, and you’ll be more likely to advance work more efficiently.
  5. Attend to your health. Burning the candle at both ends just isn’t healthy. Neither is the stress of worrying about how much you have to do. Even though it seems counter-intuitive, schedule time to take care of yourself. That includes workouts, mental health breaks, and keeping appointments with healthcare professionals. And don’t forget to eat well. Healthy fare is critical to mental sharpness and performance. Scrimping on sleep is a no-no, too. All the executive and critical thinking you need for school and work pushes your brain, and only a good night’s sleep will keep it fit enough to keep functioning at a high level.

Succeeding in your online MBA program requires a mix of strategy and tactics. Use these tips to make the most of your experience.

 

About King University Online

King University’s online MBA program prepares students to be effective leaders and managers in a variety of business settings. The online MBA degree is a 36-semester hour program designed for students with a minimum of two years work experience and seek to enhance their business administration knowledge and skills. Our online courses are the same courses as those delivered on campus. Find out how you can propel your career forward with King University online.