Are you wondering if you really have the time to earn a degree? The idea of adding school to an already full plate of responsibilities may seem overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be! No matter how busy you are, you CAN find a way to win back hours in your day with an effective time management strategy.
Here are a few ways to get started:
Be More Than Active - Be Productive - We often confuse activity with productivity. Activity is the act of being busy or doing work. Productivity is producing work that achieves specific goals. Catalog your daily activities and see which activities do not propel you toward your more important life goals. You can then determine if these activities can be automated (e. g., online bill pay) or delegated (e. g., pay the teenager next door to do yard work). Automation and delegation are great ways to recover lost time!
Fill Your Schedule - No, this does not mean overcommit. It simply means use a daily schedule and try to avoid padding it with "spare time" in hopes of achieving your goals. If you want to achieve a goal, schedule time to work on that goal; put a line item in your calendar and set a reminder. Goals are important so you need to treat them like you would a doctor's appointment; schedule time to be successful!
Embrace Technology - Students often believe school work is nothing but a tedious process of writing papers and reading material. But the process need not be tedious. Embry-Riddle provides students with free access to RefWorks, a resource which makes writing a reference section of a paper a thing of the past. Other tools like EAGLEsearch can cut down your research time with easy access to library resources. EBooks are often available so reading and note taking can be done just about anywhere, and the Canvas App allows classroom access from just about any connected device. Technology is a time saver; the more you use technology the more time you can save.
Lean on Family and Friends - The role of family and friends cannot be underestimated. Share your goals, and you'll be amazed by how willing they are to help! They can assist you with everything from proofreading to babysitting so never be afraid to ask. Nobody wants to see you succeed more than your family and friends; set a goal and make them proud of your achievements. They will help you find the time.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 80 baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 125 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit erau.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.