Juggling career, family, a personal life, and earning a DBA is enough for anyone to feel overwhelmed. That’s why at Concordia University Wisconsin, the Faculty and Staff emphasize the importance of building student success habits from the first day of entering the program. Here are Five DBA Student Success Habits to consider:
Habit #1. Mindset Matters.
Visualize completing the DBA, putting on that cap and gown and walking across the stage during graduation. Step into being on the other side of the DBA program, having successfully completed every requirement. Believe you have what it takes to complete the DBA, and then work backwards, to create an action plan to make it happen.
Habit #2. Progress, not Perfection.
It’s easy get paralyzed by perfection, and then not get anything done as result. Instead, just make progress. Getting something on paper is better than nothing, and it can always be revised later.
Habit #3. Focused Thinking.
Carve out time to create focused thinking. Schedule this into your calendar and make it happen. Figure out the time that works best for focused thinking. For many it is in the quiet of the early morning. For others, it might be in the evenings. Build this into your schedule. You could even try using the Pomodoro Technique, which is a time management method where you will work in focused, 25- minute intervals, before taking a break.
Habit #4. Take Care of Your Body.
Getting enough sleep, exercise, and stress management are all ways to take care of your body. Ensure you are healthy, so your mind can be fully able to concentrate on the DBA work and keep up with all of the demands in your life.
Habit #5. Spent Time with People who Support You.
Spending time with people who support you will be critical to your success in the DBA program. And surround yourself with those people who build you up and believe in you and want to see you succeed. You will find that you have less time than you had before, juggling a new demand of earning a doctorate. Make the time that you spend with people quality time for everyone involved.
To learn more about the Concordia University DBA Program, as well as its unique concentration offerings, please visit: https://www.cuw.edu/academics/programs/business-administration-doctorate/index.html#overview
— Dr. Jennifer Knowles, serves as assistant professor of business in the DBA program at Concordia University Wisconsin-Ann Arbor.
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