So you’ve looked through your options and have decided that a Business Administration degree is right for you. There are many great things that you can learn in such a degree, and it covers topics ranging from finance and economics all the way to management and marketing. For anyone looking to start their own career, or who have aspirations to become a business leader, a degree in business administration is certainly the way to go.
There are multiple ways to go about completing such a degree. You could choose it as your specialty and commit yourself to in-person learning for the standard four years. This can give you a leg up, but as an option, it is better for those who already have a job lined up. Perhaps your family has a small business that they want you to take over, for example.
For most, it is actually better to choose your specialty, get into the workforce, and then go and earn a second bachelor’s. The common assumption is that you need an MBA next, but MBAs can have very high admission requirements and often need you to be working in high-level management. With a BBA degree, you can learn what you need at a more comfortable pace, right from the start of your career. This is possible because you can complete your degree online.
It can be very daunting to start a degree while working full time, even if you are working remotely. With this guide, however, you’ll be able to build the extra work into your routine and succeed every step of the way.
1. Have a Degree Already? Transfer Credits to Graduate Faster
First thing’s first, if you have a degree already, then chances are you can use some of the credits towards your BBA online. This is a very easy way to help you earn your degree faster and allows you to avoid relearning similar concepts early on. You’ll save money, time, and effort just by taking advantage of your existing degree.
2. Ensure it Was Designed for Working Professionals
Not every BBA degree you come across will be designed for working professionals. Some may be on-campus online; others may have things like mandatory log-in times. You need one that is 100% online and designed to be completed by full-time workers. Only when it was designed with you in mind will you have the resources and flexibility to complete this great degree on your own schedule.
3. Create a Digital Study Group
You may have questions, may have missed something, or just generally need someone who understands to complain to when you get stressed out. Study groups offer many great benefits for your education, especially if they are in the same boat as you.
There are many great tools to build a digital study group today. Start a personal group on Facebook, or start a group chat. You can use Zoom or cloud-based documents to create master notes pages. There is no reason you need to study on your own, and you can actually learn more when studying with others.
4. Build Study Periods into Your Routine
Without building studying into your routine, you can fall behind very quickly. A little every day can keep you consistent, stress-free and help you with your career. To do this, try to be consistent with your routine, from building up your health habits to studying at the same time every day. The hardest part about taking on a degree on top of your career is finding the energy after a long day at work.
By getting your body used to working on personal projects after work, you can train your brain to allocate your energy more consistently throughout the day.
A good way to study without really taking away from your free time is to use up your dead time. For most of us, that will be our commute. If you are currently working from home, then it can be worked in other ways. Spend some time after breakfast and before you start work on your degree, and again at lunch. This way, instead of taking hours away from your evening you can keep that time for relaxation.
The key thing to remember is that it won’t be like this forever, and spending your free time now will benefit you long into the future.
5. Put What You Learn to Work
If you can, you should put what you have learned to work. Physically implement what you learn, or at least use mental exercises to practice and understand what you have learned with context.