Are you feeling Stuck in Life? Here are 4 tips to help you to start getting UNSTUCK.

What do you do when you find yourself stuck? Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash.

Life can get complicated. At any given point, most of us will be juggling multiple roles simultaneously – father, son, husband, student, teacher, employee, employer, manager, subordinate, the list goes on. Managing all these roles effectively and efficiently can get stressful, and there may be times when we just get stuck.

The feeling of getting stuck is, at least in my opinion, a common and recurring aspect of life. It happens to everyone, and when it happens in one aspect of life, it can easily affect other aspects of life.

For example, let’s say you are facing a challenge at work that you cannot overcome no matter how much you put your mind to finding a solution. You are STUCK. Before you know it, or rather, without even being aware of it, this will slowly start affecting other aspects of your life. Let’s say you are also doing an online master’s degree programme and have a deadline to submit an assignment, but all you can think is how you are falling behind at work, and before you know it, that mindset of being stuck at work has now spread to your student life as well. And now this feeling of being stuck has been compounded and will start affecting more aspects of your life.

Hopefully, you will be able to nip this feeling of being stuck in the bud before it starts affecting something significant (again, in my opinion) like being a father, husband and son.

Like most things in life, there are a number of ways to get UNSTUCK and again, these are habits that you have to cultivate. Here are four easy ways to help you get started:

(1) Do not label: We just love to label everything, don’t we? Especially if it is something bad. Let’s say we haven’t achieved our targets at work for a couple of months; how many times have we cribbed, cried, and complained, saying it has been a bad couple of months or saying that we are going through bad times at work. When we label something as “bad”, we tend to write it off or give up. We move on, and there is no scope for improvement or learning from the mistakes committed.

Getting stuck labelling. Photo by Victor He on Unsplash.

Conversely, when we label something as good, we set that as the benchmark and limit our potential.

No matter how low we hit or how high we peak, there is always scope for learning, growing, and improving. So, don’t label anything as good or bad!

(2) Let go of baggage: As in the above point, your baggage can be good or bad. It is never a good idea to revel in the glories of the past or wallow in the miseries of failure. If you have had success, celebrate it – but only for a day, then move on to your next assignment or challenge. If you have failed, then you have failed – analyse it, learn from it, and move on – again, only for a day. Never let your wallowing in failure outstrip your celebration of success – find a balance. If you get stuck in the past, it will be difficult to get unstuck.

(3) Always have a goal: This is probably the most cliched and overused advice given in the history of advice. There is a reason for that – it is an important point and a point that works. Regardless of whether they are short term or long term, goals give you a direction, something to aim for (a destination) and a yardstick to measure your progress. As long as you have a goal or goals to work towards, there will be very little opportunity for your mind to wander, and you get stuck in inaction and demotivation. Having goals protect you.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash.

(4) Ask for help: If you find yourself getting stuck, maybe it is time for a change in perspective. We often tend not to see what is right in front of us, what is perhaps obvious to others, and unless we ask for help, no one will know we are struggling and stuck and therefore will not point the obvious out to us. Of course, there are many different people we could ask for help – from professionals to trusted friends/family or colleagues to your neighbouring know-it-all five-year-old. You have to identify what level of help you require and have the courage to seek it out.


These points are just four simple tips to help you get started on getting unstuck, and I would appreciate it if you shared with us what worked for you in getting unstuck.

If you have been thinking about doing a master’s degree, and are ready to challenge yourself, look at our list of programmes and see if we have anything you are interested in doing.

You can also chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information on the programme that is right for you, the application process, and for details on discounts we might be offering at this time.

#Dilo – A day in the life of an RKC student – Wilson K

As a former Education advisor, if I had to pick one of the most frequently asked questions by prospective students, it would be “How many hours do I need to study?”  

The vast majority (if not all) of our students are working and leading hectic professional lives. Some are motivated and have already decided to undertake a master’s, while others contemplate the unknowns of an online programme. In my experience, two things affect their decision the most.   

First – finances, and second, being able to strike the perfect work, study, and life balance. While I cannot completely help you with the finances (partially yes – check out the discount offers currently being offered on our online MBA, MSc, and LL.M programmes), I thought what I could do to help was to bring some facts to light about the other unknowns – what does a typical day in the life of an online master’s student look like?  

I asked a few of our students from different walks of life, occupations, and personal situations to answer a few questions on their study tactics and strategies, plans and reality, and so on.  So, through our ‘#DILO ‘a typical day in the life of a master’s student’ blog series every month, we bring to you one of our actual students or alumni sharing the insights.   

Today, we’re looking at Wilson’s typical study days. Wilson, the Managing Director of an advertising company in Kenya for the past 14 years, offered us these answers:

An Introduction  

Vidhi Kapoor (VK): Which programme did you choose and why?  

Wilson K (WK): I chose an MBA programme in International Business in order to boost my wealth of knowledge for conducting business through a wider lens that could help me steer the company and any new initiatives to greater heights from an informed foundation.

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Stayed focused and consistent

The Study Plan   

VK : How did you plan to study each module, and what was the reality? How many hours did/do you have to put in each day/or in a week?  

WK:  While the modules are structured with the ease of flexibility, the fundamental aspect is that each revolves around the individual’s ability to keep the pace as a member of a group class. And this means serious balancing between work expectations and deadlines, not to mention that you must also research and study to reflect the mind of a master’s student. My strategy was to allocate the first 2 hours on Monday, 2 hours Wednesday morning and at least 3 hours on Friday to catch up with the reading and contribute to class work and assignments as well. 

VK: What part of the day did/do you find most suitable to study? (e.g. early mornings, lunch break, evenings, weekends?)  

WK: I found morning hours very apt especially if the assigned time implied adjusting your wake-up schedule and morning routine. The mind is less polluted and cluttered with the day’s requirement and one is able not only to concentrate but also bring out the best in terms of thinking and concentration.

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Wilson allocated time based upon the requirements of each assignment

VK: How much time did you devote for each assignment?  

WK: Time devotion for each assignment was dictated by the requirements and details of the questions. In most cases, each weekly assignment needed about 4 hours, but the examinations required at least 4 days considering that one is given the benefit of knowing each paper in advance.

Travelling and Communication  

VK: Did you travel for work? How did travelling impact your ability to study?  

DA:  My work involves a lot of travel around the country but whenever such need arose, I had to plan for a trade-off in terms of hours where either delegation or relegation of priorities had to be effected. Missed classwork and deadlines sounded like the best recipe for failing a module and facing the menacing consequences that are well defined within the rules.

VK: How were you able to interact with peers and/or professors given the time differences?  

WK: With proper planning and calculated awareness of time differences, I really can’t say I had a problem interacting with peers. The University timetable was also well aligned to this as both the classwork and assignment deadlines did not create overly demanding adjustments.

A typical day as a master’s student  

VK: What does a typical day as an Online Masters’ student look like for you?  

WK: A typical day comes with lots of anxiety on not only how well you are faring in class but your preparedness towards the assessments. You also have to keep check of your performance within the organisation especially if you are a leader so that you do not jeopardize the organization you guide.

Any advice?  

VK:Any advice you have for students to better plan their studies.  

WK: This programme demands individual discipline especially on time management. The risk of just skimming through the course is real and the most important thing to keep at the back of the head is that this should not just be for passing the exams and getting an award but to ensure that you obtain the incredible insights that propels your line of thought, intelligence, and faculties higher than where you are today.

   

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Wilson says the programme aims forthe incredible insights that propels your line of thought, intelligence, and faculties higher than where you are today.

Alright friends, this was a sneak peek of a typical day in Wilson’s life as a master’s student. I hope you find it insightful and informative and that it gives you an idea of what to expect when you enrol for our master’s programmes. Watch this space as we have many more interesting insights coming up! 

Robert Kennedy College and York St John University Graduation – Class of 2021

For most of us, isolation has been a big part of the last couple of years. There are a lot of unique opportunities and experiences that we have missed out on because of the lockdowns and limited travel options. Because of COVID-19 protocols, many universities had suspended graduation ceremonies, resulting in many students missing out on the “cherry on the cake” and not being able to experience the graduation ceremony. 

Last week York St John University celebrated their students by conducting the graduation ceremony at York Minster. Thirty-four proud Robert Kennedy College students also attended the graduation ceremony to receive their degree certificates.

Group photo of RKC Class of 2021 Graduation @YorkStJohn, with a few friends from other colleges

The ceremony was a happy occasion for the graduating students who worked hard to earn their master’s degrees. They celebrated it with their fellow students, the faculty and their families. To celebrate the occasion the Mayor and Sheriff of York were also present.

RKC students can be seen getting the award at 45.17, 54.47 and 59.53

If you have been thinking about doing a master’s degree, and are ready to challenge yourself, look at our list of programmes and see if we have anything you are interested in doing.

If you have already made up your mind, click here to apply.

#DILO (A day in the life of) a master’s student – Premprakash

Sometimes, the fear of the unknown is more of a hindrance in achieving your end goal. Once you are past this fear and are well informed, it is just a matter of planning your path. Similar is the plight of students who want to study of online but face the fear of the unknown, such as : What is the best way to study online? Should you do an online programme? How to better manage time when learning online? And so on. 

Photo credit: Unsplash.com

These are all questions that we at Robert Kennedy College (RKC) get regularly asked by students looking to join one of our online programmes. Undertaking to do an online master’s degree programme will be an additional commitment to your time and finances, and it is wise to get information beforehand.

Through this continuing series of blog posts, some of our past and current students have shared their experiences, thoughts and opinions and given their feedback on handling some of these choices and situations. Hopefully, this will help you to make an informed decision.

This time we have an alumnus from the University of Cumbria and Robert Kennedy College, MBA Leadership & Sustainability programme, Premprakash. 

An Introduction

Which Uni are you studying with?

University of Cumbria

Which programme did you choose and why?

MBA Leadership & Sustainability

The Study Plan

A hand holding a phone

Description automatically generated with low confidencePhoto by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash.

How did you plan to study each module, and what was the reality? For example, how many hours did/do you have to put in each day/or in a week?

Minimum of six hours daily. I work better under pressure. The two modules that I enjoyed the most were IMS (Information Management) and Marketing Management. I did them together, and it turned out to be two distinctions! IMS Professor Radu was someone I really liked. His reply to the forums and interims was why I achieved high marks in IMS.

What part of the day did/do you find most suitable to study? (e.g. early mornings, lunch break, evenings, weekends?)

After midnight through to early mornings all week plus the weekends.

How much time did you devote to each assignment?

For the interim assignment I spent one week and, for final assessments about two weeks’ time. I completed my dissertation within the 6-month minimum period. 

Travelling and Communication

Photo credit: Unsplash.com

How did travelling impact your ability to study?

The Online residency was a lifesaver as Covid19 disrupted travel to the UK. 

How were you able to interact with peers and/or professors given the time differences?

The time difference did not pose any problems for me.

A typical day as a master’s student

What does a typical day as an Online Masters’ student look like for you?

Studying keeps me happy, focused, and desiring more knowledge.

Any advice?

Any advice you have for students to better plan their studies.

Never give up!!!

A to the point and practical advice by our alumni. I hope this blog has answered some of your questions, and provided that motivational boost to your academic plans..You can also chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information on all the programmes we offer and the application process.