Guess what? School is going to be stressful. Going to school and working and keeping up with your responsibilities is going to be tough. You’re going to be overwhelmed.
Embracing Time Management
But guess what else? There are hundreds of stress management techniques that will help you through the grind. Unmanaged stress is costly. Allowing the pressure to build and your anxiety to run rampant will affect your mental and physical health, and the quality of your production.1. Mastering Time Management
Manage your time effectively by having a game plan in place to make the most of your 24-hour day. Knowing what you need to get done, how long it will take, and when you’re going to commit to completing it will keep your stress levels as low as they can be.2. Discover Relaxation Techniques
Learn the best ways to relax yourself. Find what calms you and re-energizes you. Commit to regular, consistent self-maintenance to ease your stress and decompress.3. Let Go of Minor Issues
Don’t sweat the little things. Focus on the things you can control and let the other things do what they will. Be resilient like a duck, letting the nuisances roll off your back.4. Cultivate Positivity
Be positive! Give yourself affirmations about how awesome and inspirational you are. Never get down on yourself for making the choice to take the hard road.5. Maintain Emotional Balance
Avoid extreme reactions. Maintain an even keel, work hard, and enjoy the ride. Don’t let stress cause you to spiral into turmoil. Stress doesn’t have to dictate your life or your college experience. Don’t allow the pressures to decrease your ability to complete your coursework as best you can. You can find a healthy balance while working and going to school. And you’ll do great!
Life is all about problem-solving, time management, and efficiency. Professional success is often found for those who understand how to manage the nuances and functions surrounding these issues.
Enter: the project manager.
Navigating the Landscape of Time Management
Many companies across many different industries incorporate project managers into their day-to-day operations and business models. They need a jack of all trades—someone who can analyze a problem, effectively strategize how to solve it, skillfully manage a team to execute the plan, and communicate efficiently to all players involved. “Project management is a pretty broad field. It deals primarily with being able to identify a set of requirements that various stakeholders in the company might have, then being able to take those requirements and build a program or project to address or solve those requirements,” said Amberton Business Associate Faculty Dr. Blair Stephenson.The Role of Project Managers
When you’re deciding where you want to pursue a degree in project management, keep in mind the importance of practical application. You need to be able to prove you have the capacity to achieve, as much as you have the knowledge and academic understanding of it. Your technical skills are equally important as your cognitive abilities.Practical Application
“Amberton has such a focus on being practical in the delivery and the content of the courses that we try to provide. As you move through the courses, you don’t really have to wait until you have the degree to gain value from what you’re studying,” Dr. Stephenson said.Flexibility Beyond Graduation
A Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Project Management does provide you with some degree of flexibility. Basic principles and applications can be adapted across many industries. Don’t be afraid of being pigeonholed after graduation. Take the experiences and testimonies from your instructors and peers, and modify them to your own needs and success. Check out what Amberton’s professors have to say about the Project Management degree program here. If you think Amberton’s BBA in Project Management could be the right fit for you, contact our advisors at advisors@amberton.edu or by phone at 972.279.6511 now!Simply skating through college and getting the work done isn’t anyone’s idea of a great college experience - traditional student or otherwise. If you just want to tread water and get a piece of paper in the end, maybe college isn’t for you.
As an adult learner, it’s safe to say you probably want to thrive and grow during the course of your college career.
It cannot be understated that adult learners have a leg up on students entering college straight out of high school. You have maturity, you have professional and life experience, and you have the skills needed to juggle it all.
When the road seems long and unending, remember: you were made to excel and to achieve much.
Keep in mind some of these basic tips:
Seek a Balance
Rest is an essential part of the human condition. Everyone needs it, everyone benefits from it. Seek and establish a balance between work, school, family and friends.
Don’t get sucked into the vortex of research papers, tests and studying. The better able you are to shift gears, the better you’ll feel and the more you will accomplish in each of your roles.
Be Prepared to Feel Overwhelmed
College is a season of character building. There’s a lot going in your life right now. Expect to have moments where it seems a bit too much. As odd as it might seem, be prepared to feel completely unprepared.
The trick is knowing that you’re not the only one feeling that way. Every single college student has felt that way on more than one occasion. Focus on the horizon and ignore the waves
around you.
Become an Expert on Course Requirements and Due Dates
Your professors will give you all the details you need to be successful for the semester. Memorize the syllabus. You’ll be saving yourself a lot of heartache if you know what you need to do to communicate you understand the material.
Knowing when you have papers due, presentations, and test dates seems like a no-brainer. And it probably is. That doesn’t mean it isn’t something you just might overlook.
However you choose to organize yourself and your calendar is unique to you. If you have to write it in a planner, that’s fantastic. If you have to send yourself faxes from the future, even better. Do not forget due dates and find yourself scrambling the night before.
Develop a Time Management System & Stay On Top of Assignments
When you’re keeping on track and making sure all your responsibilities are staying under control, you’re going to feel like you are thriving. Establishing a time management system will make your life as an adult student much easier and much more enjoyable.
Don’t allow yourself to be swamped by all the different things you have to maintain. Never put off what can be done today.
Get a Study Partner or Study Group
You don't need to make the trek solo to thrive in college. In each course, find a study partner or a small study group. You’ll develop lasting relationships with people that will benefit you (and them) in the present and the future. As a working adult, you understand the importance of networking and relying on others to help improve your own skills. Iron sharpens iron. Study groups make for a better student.
Thriving in college isn’t out of reach or a cheesy catchphrase. At Amberton, the faculty and staff want you to thrive during your time at the university.
Use all of Amberton’s student resources, lean on your fellow students and your family, and you will love every bit of your college experience.