Achieving the perfect Work-Life-Study Balance

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If you are looking either to advance in or to switch careers; online education can help fastrack your career goals. An online student today, typically is a 34 year old, employed in high demanding jobs.

Juggling a career with education is a challenge.

Today, given the flexibility of online education, it’s no surprise that – it’s those very working professionals who are drawn to the virtual classroom.

 

Apart from making the decision about the choice of the University and choice of the course that you want to pursue, another major decision that most of our prospective students face is time-management and achieving that perfect work-life-study balance. Apart from money, time is the biggest commitment that you are going to make towards your Online Education. You may already be running deadlines at your workplace and at the same time have to keep up pace with Online lectures and ensure timely submission of assignments. Studying while working will require some sacrifices, particularly in your social life.
 
Finding this balance is becoming harder, not easier. ‘Healthy mind in a healthy body’ is one of the most popular slogans we have always heard; more so because it is so sensible. Both the mind and the body’s health is optimised by balancing your work life with your personal life. So here are few quick pointers that will help you maintain the most crucial balance of – work-life-study:
  • Make lists – Be organised and make lists of things to be done at work, study and home.
  • Set Goals – Set achievable goals and targets for yourself.
  • Manage your time – Plan your whole work/study week and what you have to accomplish really helps.
  • Do not Procrastinate – Do not leave things to last minute.
  • Do not succumb to pressures – There will always be work pressure. Studying will only add to the already sweltering pressures. Keep your calm. Remember that you are only a human and it is only so much you can do in a 24hour day. Divide ample time to your personal life as well after work and study.

 

Pursue your goal for higher education with Robert Kennedy College Online Masters’ Programme. Download the catalogue.

 

Advantage in having Student Diversity

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The world has become a smaller place, a global village and organisations have truly become multinational. Today’s managers must not only know how to manage business at a global level but also understand the nuances of doing business at local level.

Diversity in your college in terms of race, gender, religion and other factors has a positive impact on all students. Diversity enriches your experience by exposing you to a non-homogenous composition of students as an introduction to the cultures of the world and so to a richer learning experience.

This exposure will also create a diverse learning experience providing:

Greater Self-Awareness – Joining a college that has a diverse student base exposes students to a wide spectrum of cultural and life experiences, shattering preconceptions and prejudice and enhancing the overall learning experience.

Knowledge and Critical Thinking – The course curriculum is not the only source of knowledge in college. The opportunity to interact with diverse peers, leads to greater active thinking, intellectual engagement and motivation.

Global Perspective – In today’s global business environment with clients, suppliers and employees from all over the world and different backgrounds, an exposure to a diverse college environment lays the foundation for a global perspective and builds the social abilities needed to interact productively with individuals of various nationalities and backgrounds. The experience will enhance your career prospects because you are prepared to face opportunities you may not otherwise consider.

Social Development – Interacting with students and faculty from different national and social backgrounds will not only create a global network but will be enriched with diversity. This diverse exposure will also create a diverse learning experience providing the socialisation skills and knowledge which would otherwise have been out of your comfort zone.

Collaboration – A study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that ideas generated by diverse teams were of better quality in terms of feasibility and effectiveness with input from individuals of diverse backgrounds and perspectives that otherwise would not have been raised.

Robert Kennedy College with almost 14000 students from almost every county in the world offers one of the most diverse online Master’s degree programmes both in Law and in Business through exclusive partnerships with British universities. For more information download programme catalogue.

Procrastination.. Saving for tomorrow…….

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Normally I would have published this weekly blog couple of days ago; so what different happened this time?….. I did Procrastinate!

I had been thinking hard to come up with a relevant topic all last week, when this idea struck me suddenly, ‘This is it!’, I thought – this is something all, students and professionals, can easily relate to and deal with in their daily lives. I was smirking that I got so much to write on this topic, I will finish the blog in no time! I should start tomorrow.. I thought to myself. And here we are! 🙂

So What is Procrastination?

Dictionary
pro·cras·ti·na·tion
prəˌkrastəˈnāSH(ə)n/
noun
  1. the action of delaying or postponing something.
    “your first tip is to avoid procrastination”

Now that we have fair idea of what Procrastination means (I know, we know what it means, we live it everyday, well almost most of us..), I would like you to watch this interesting video that I found about procrastination:

Why do we procrastinate? According to Tim Urban, all of us have an instant gratification monkey within us. 🙂

Prof Pychyl says procrastination is making the choice to avoid doing something, even though we know this will cost us in the long run. He says it is different from intentionally delaying doing something, and it is not a problem of time management, but a failure to control our emotions. The problem is our brains are programmed to procrastinate.

“When we procrastinate, we are trying to improve our mood by avoiding doing something that feels unpleasant to us,” he says.

“A bit like getting drunk or comfort eating, it is a coping strategy to feel better by distracting ourselves with short-term pleasure and forgetting about a problem.”

Lecturers suffer from procrastination too, with academic Twitter feeds talking about “writing guilt” and the battle between marking papers and watching Netflix.

With more people studying online, procrastination is a greater problem than ever before. As a student studying online courses, we do postpone our assignments and research papers and even studying for exams. 

So what can we do to avoid Procrastination?

Well these are the top quick fixes that really help me get back on the track:

  1. Removing the obstacles to my task
  2. Re-aligning my focus
  3. Start from the start, no matter where I am – just dive into the task
  4. I don’t punish myself for not starting earlier….
  5. Set new realistic goals and be happy about it
  6. I tell myself that I don’t need to be perfect….it is alright to be imperfect
  7. Remove all fears about completing the task now
  8. And most importantly, I remind myself that all great people Do Procrastinate – from Steve Jobs to Frank Lloyd to Bill Clinton.

I interestingly, also found in a study that procrastination is in fact not that bad, as the procrastinators’ ideas were 28 percent more creative.

 

Do not procrastinate about your decision to study Masters. Find out more about the MBA, MSc, MA and LLMs programmes that we offer; get our catalogue now.

Not Keeping up in Class? You’re Not Alone!

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Joining a Master’s degree programme can be exciting and challenging and successfully completing it can open a world of new professional opportunities.

You might have started the programme with the determination to succeed. But a few weeks into it you might suddenly find yourself not being able to understand what has been taught in class, struggling to complete your assignments on time and seeming to fall behind everyone else. You might even begin to think that a better option would be to drop out of the programme as it seems there’s no way you can successfully complete it.

Well, if that is so, don’t give up! You’re not alone in feeling this way. Just remember that nothing worth having comes easy. But there are some simple ways to improve outcomes and catch up. The following advice can help you maximize your effort while minimizing wasted time.

  1. Don’t give up and keep your chin up: If you’ve fallen behind in your classes or are struggling to keep up, bear in mind that you’re one of millions of college students who have been in the same position. It takes time to get used to a training programme, and especially to work your classes into your personal and professional lives. Take some time to get the lie of the land, as doing so is certainly well within your reach. After all, the vast majority of students eventually graduate. Maintaining a positive attitude and managing your expectations can help you overcome obstacles along the way to your academic goals.
  2. Ask for help: As soon as you find yourself not able to understand a particular topic or concept, don’t be afraid to ask for help immediately. The success of your university or college is directly linked to the success of the students and they have resources at the ready to help students succeed. Consider forming a study group, it offers an opportunity to benefit from the experience and knowledge of others while getting a boost in self-esteem through your own contributions. It’s also a chance to get to know your peers and build a valuable support network.
  3. Don’t compare yourself with other: Each student is unique and has different learning needs. You might be able to understand and complete a particular module, subject or assignment quicker than your peers and vice versa. The attitude that you will automatically do better than your peers because you’re smart or have studied a lot can be a trap. Instead, focus on putting your personal best effort into every learning task.
  4. Time management: Time management is one of the biggest challenges that a student faces. Being able to manage one’s personal and professional life while at the same time getting the space and time to complete all the requirements of the programme – assignments, readings, etc. – is a problem faced by most students. If you don’t manage time well – putting off assignments till the last minute, not completing the required readings, being unable to participate in classroom sessions – you will inevitably fall behind and struggle to complete the course. Balancing work-life-study is the key to successfully completing any programme.

Robert Kennedy College offers a number of online master’s degree programmes in Law and Business through exclusive partnerships with British universities. For more information download programme catalogue.

Writing Masters Level Assignments

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A Master’s degree is critically different from a Bachelor’s degree. Though similar on some, Master’s degree will involve a lot of different aspects than a Bachelor’s.

At Master’s level you could be studying one of the many specialised courses offered by Robert Kennedy College, as MBA International Health Management, LLM – Master of Law International Business Law , MBA Leading Innovation and Change or Master of Science Project Management.

Taught Master’s are usually modular in form, featuring a range of optional modules the student can choose from, with a final dissertation at the end of the course, usually produced over the final semester.

Writing assignments at Master’s level

You must use language appropriate to the academic environment, and a coherent and strong structure to your work is essential. Assignments will be longer at Master’s level, even for unassessed pieces of work. Do not be overwhelmed by larger word counts. Remember, you made a large step up in intensity of work from school to university, so another step-up is well within your capabilities.

Clarity is important. Do not use over-elaborate vocabulary and grammar just because you think you have to. It is more important to be understood.

Time management is crucial for the Master’s student – with a heavier workload you will find that a good weekly plan, and a firm grasp of deadlines, is essential. This is especially true with the dissertation which will be the longest assignment you will have done yet at university, usually covering a period of several months. It is important to set yourself deadlines for drafts.

Here are the various aspects of writing skills that Master’s students should be concentrating on in order to succeed.

THE MASTERS LEVEL

One of the first things most Master’s students notice once they have started is how much more intense a Master’s degree is than an undergraduate degree. It is a less passive experience; you will not be guided as much by the lecturers, and will be expected to think for yourself more.

Master’s requires a new way of approaching academic work, all the groundwork has been done at undergraduate level. Let’s look at the features of a Master’s more closely.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

A Master’s degree is geared towards the delivery of a piece of original research. For research Master’s students this will be your primary focus. For those doing taught Master’s this will form part of all aspects of your degree, not just the final dissertation.

In your original research you should also aim for originality where possible. You are being asked to look at your subject in a fresh and innovative way, and finding a new or underdeveloped area of your subject, or a new way of looking at an established area, will help you gain better marks.

THEORY

Master’s are not exercises in description. You will need to find a theoretical basis for your work. Many Master’s will run modules on the subject of theory, it is advisable to attend all available classes on the subject of theory as it will help you to form an idea of the theory which surrounds your subject. Theory forms a useful framework to hang your research on.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Another important part of Master’s writing is critical analysis. A critical analysis is one which assesses the quality and usefulness of the sources which you are using in your assignments. This process involves considering all aspects of the source and its contents.

 

Download our course catalogue.