Working Full-Time While Pursuing an Advanced Degree Online: 10 Tips for Surviving,
Even Thriving, in Your Program
By Mona Pelkey, United States Military Academy, West Point
In March 2004, I began a full-time, online doctoral program in higher education
leadership, and I am currently completing the comprehensives examination phase
of the program. I would like to share some survival tips for anyone who is considering
pursuing an advanced degree online, while continuing a full-time job.
- Think fit, function, and fun when choosing and pursuing your degree
program.
Be sure that online learning is going to work for you before you invest a
lot of time and money. Take a free trial course if the institution offers
one. Consider whether you will like a program that offers little to no "face
time" with coursemates or instructor, whether you will like the mode
of written discussions, and whether you have the personal discipline to work
independently and asynchronously.
Be sure that the program is accredited by a regional accreditation agency;
if your career path has licensure requirements, be sure the program meets
those as well. An online degree that doesn't help you meet your personal and
career goals is useless.
If you can choose a program that dovetails with your job, great! Projects
for school that help with your work serve double duty; what a great time-saver
that can be, and your workplace immediately benefits from your professional
development.
Last but certainly not least, be sure that you are going to enjoy what you
are studying. Completing an advanced degree takes tons of time and energy;
choose a program that feeds, rather than drains, your soul. Strive to develop
friendly online relationships and a sense of community with your coursemates
as well. Posting often and to all of your coursemates, using a friendly tone
(and "smileys" if they are allowed by the instructor), and sharing
personal examples and stories are ways of "making friends" in the
courseroom. Courseroom interactions that are comfortable and fun for the participants
are most effective for learning.
- Write out a degree completion plan that keeps you focused on the light
at the end of the tunnel.
It is important to write out a degree completion plan with your academic
advisor that includes your goals, the courses you need to take, and a timeline
for completion, and update it regularly. Then post it in your study
area! Seeing it keeps your goal of degree completion in the forefront of your
mind, helps you stay organized and focused, and reminds you which courses
you should register for, and when. The most rewarding part of keeping a written
plan, however, is the great feeling of accomplishment you get each time you
check off the courses you have just completed and see your progress toward
your goal of earning your degree!
- Make the word "no" a part of your working vocabulary. Practice
saying it in front of the mirror if necessary.
Determine how many hours per week you can realistically dedicate to the online
program, and plan accordingly. You will have to cut some of your present
activities to find enough hours, you will have to delegate some of
your household tasks to others, and you will have to say "no"
to requests that cut into your study time! You may have to pare back your
work schedule as well, particularly during times when papers are due, during
examinations, or during the dissertation phase. Realize that you are an advanced
degree candidate, not superhuman, and defend your study time with a vengeance.
If you have never said no to anyone before, you will probably shock a few
people with your new tactic. You won't be believed at first. You may be challenged
more than once. Stand your ground! It's YOUR degree. This is one of the ways
that you will prove to yourself and others that YOU REALLY WANT IT.
Set a study schedule, write it out, and stick to it. Log in to your
course(s) every day you study to check email, assignments, and postings.
Print your assignments and post them near your desk, noting the due dates.
Estimate the amount of time it will take to complete them on time, and schedule
the proper amount of time. Check off the assignments as you complete them,
and reward yourself with chocolate every time you say no to things that threaten
to lure you away from your degree goal!
- Sleep your way to success.
Plan your study time for times when you are alert, and avoid skipping sleep
to study. This rule is not just for the students we advise! Many online students
I know report to work early and study at their desks before their colleagues
and students arrive, to take full advantage of their "alert" time.
I arrive at work early so I can leave at 3:30 or 4:00 p.m., and once I arrive
home, I eat dinner, and study until NO LATER THAN 8:00 p.m. Late-night studying
when you are tired is generally slower and less productive, and chronic sleep
deprivation hinders your ability to learn and retain information.
It's also important to get plenty of rest in addition to sleep. "Rest"
means taking planned periodic breaks throughout the day to refresh your thinking
and restore your energy.
It also means resting your eyes periodically throughout the day. Reading on
a computer monitor is harder on the eyes than reading text on paper, in part
because the eyes do not blink as often while reading on-screen as they do
while reading paper text, and they dry out more quickly as a result. Reserve
some eye power for your evening coursework by pacing yourself in your daily
activities on-screen.
- "All or nothing" mentality accomplishes nothing.
Sometimes you will arrive home from work too tired to post to discussion boards
or write papers. Choose to read others' posts and plan to respond later, download
useful articles from the internet for sources for your papers, or scan your
textbook assignments at least for an hour. Then go to bed early, knowing that
you have made some progress, and plan to respond to postings or write the
next day. Total exhaustion, of course, is a different story; in that case,
get some rest, and resolve to pace yourself better the next day.
- There is no PhD for good housekeeping.
Because to me becoming a PhD is more important than dusting and laundry, I
plan my activities accordingly. I found soon after I began my doctoral program
that I am more productive if I study first and do housework and chores afterward.
I limit my weekend study to eight hours per day, early in the day, and pursue
other activities later. I also find that I work more productively if I set
an eight-hour time limit for study each day. That bit of time-limit "pressure"
helps me to stay focused. Another discovery I made of necessity is that many
chores can be delegated, or simply done less often.
- All work and no play makes Jack a burnout.
Be sure to schedule regular recreational activities with family and friends.
Avoid burnout; balance work with play. This is not easy to accomplish, but
it is an important part of maintaining your relationships and your sanity
during your degree program.
- Get off the academic treadmill once a week.
Give yourself one day off from your studies each week for recovery, relaxation,
and reflection. For me, Monday is my "day off" from school: I do
not log in, I do not read assignments, and I do not write. Do what works best
for your schedule.
- Assemble your cheerleading squad and bring them on deck often.
Your personal support network should include family, friends, colleagues,
other students in your program, faculty, and your advisor. Share your goals
and your needs with these people. They will not only offer encouragement and
help you get what you need to complete the program, they will hold you accountable
to your goals. Keep in frequent contact with them.
- Study smarter, not harder.
In order to maximize your learning experience, practice the same study strategies
that you teach. You will be a more effective learner, and at the same time,
you can share with your students how the study strategies you suggest for
them also work for you in your concurrent pursuit of an advanced degree and
a fulltime career.
If you have questions about online study, or just want to share war stories,
please email me at ym5330@usma.edu.
Questions or comments? Contact the author at Mona.Pelkey@usma.edu.