Let me paint you a picture. It’s 7:15 AM on a Tuesday. I’m trying to find a matching pair of socks for my seven-year-old, answer a work email that’s just pinged on my phone, and stop the toast from burning. All while mentally rehearsing a presentation on SEO keywords that’s due by midnight.
Sound familiar? For years, this was my reality. A constant, frantic juggling act of work, family, and a nagging feeling that I was stuck in a professional rut. I knew I needed a change, but the idea of adding ‘university student’ to my already overflowing plate felt, frankly, ridiculous.
But here I am, on the other side of it all, with a BBA and a Master’s degree in my back pocket, and a career that actually excites me. It wasn’t easy, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made. If you’re reading this while hiding in the loo for five minutes of peace, thinking a degree is an impossible dream, I’m here to tell you it’s not. You just need a solid plan.
Why I Took the Plunge
My old job paid the bills, but it wasn’t going anywhere. Every interesting new role, every promotion, seemed to have one thing in common: a need for digital skills I just didn’t have. The world was moving online, and my CV was stuck in the past. I saw friends getting exciting jobs in digital marketing, talking about campaigns and analytics, and I felt a pang of envy.
I didn’t just want a promotion; I wanted a new direction. I wanted to show my kids that you’re never too old to learn something new. That was my ‘why’. It’s what got me through the late nights and early mornings. You need to find yours, write it down, and stick it on your fridge. You’ll need it.
My Survival Guide: A Playbook for the Busy Learner
Forget superhuman discipline. Success is about having smart systems that work for you, even when you’re tired and running on coffee. Here’s what worked for me.
First, the Right University is Half the Battle
This is the most important bit, so listen up. You can have all the motivation in the world, but if your university isn’t built for people with actual lives, you’re setting yourself up to fail. This is where I have to give a massive shout-out to Britts Imperial University College UAE. I wouldn’t have my degree without them.
I knew I couldn’t attend lectures from 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. It just wasn’t an option. What Britts Imperial offered was flexibility. Their blended learning model meant I could watch lectures online after I’d put the kids to bed, and the weekend classes felt manageable. The course material for my BBA in Digital Marketing wasn’t just dry theory; it was practical stuff I could almost immediately see the value in. We were building marketing plans for real-world scenarios, not just memorising definitions from a dusty textbook.
The support staff were brilliant, too. They’re used to dealing with working professionals, not fresh-faced 18-year-olds. They get that life happens. When my son came down with the chickenpox the week an assignment was due, I was able to have an honest conversation and get a short extension. That single act of understanding made all the difference. A rigid, old-fashioned institution would have just said, “rules are rules.” Britts Imperial felt like a partner in my success, not a barrier.
Master Your Calendar Like a Pro
My next tip? Your calendar is your new best friend. Before starting my course, my schedule was reactive. I just dealt with whatever was shouting the loudest. That had to change.
Every Sunday night, I’d sit down for 30 minutes and block out my entire week in Google Calendar. I mean everything: work meetings, school runs, gym time (ha, that was optimistic), family dinners, and, crucially, dedicated study blocks.
My 45-minute train commute became my reading time, no excuses. Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 8 PM to 10:30 PM were sacred study periods. Blocking it out like a non-negotiable appointment made it real. It also helped my family understand when I was available and when I absolutely had to be left alone with my laptop and a giant mug of tea. It sounds simple, but it stops study time from becoming the thing that always gets pushed to the bottom of the pile.
You Can’t Do It Alone, So Build Your Team
In the beginning, I tried to be a hero. I thought I could just add studying to my existing workload and no one would notice. What a mistake. I was grumpy, exhausted, and failing at everything.
The breakthrough came when I sat down with my partner and had a proper chat. I laid out my schedule, explained why I was doing this, and asked for help. It wasn’t about him “letting” me study; it was about us becoming a team. He took over the kids’ bedtime routine on my study nights. My mum offered to have them one Sunday a month so I could have an uninterrupted block of time for assignments.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. People want to support you, but they can’t read your mind. Rope in your friends, your family, even a study buddy from your course. Sharing the struggle makes it a hundred times lighter.
Embrace the Gospel of ‘Good Enough’
This one is for the perfectionists. I see you. I am you. But when you’re studying, working, and raising a family, something has to give. You cannot do everything perfectly.
For me, that meant letting go of having a spotless house. It meant accepting that sometimes, a takeaway pizza for dinner was a victory, not a failure. My priority was passing my modules and being present for my family. Everything else could be ‘good enough’. I wasn’t aiming for a Michelin-star dinner every night; I was aiming for a degree that would change our future. Letting go of that pressure to be perfect in every area of my life was liberating.
The Payoff: So, Was It All Worth It?
Absolutely. One hundred percent.
Walking across that stage at graduation, with my family cheering, was a feeling I’ll never forget. It wasn’t just a piece of paper; it was proof that I could take on a massive challenge and see it through.
But the real payoff came afterwards. My BBA in Digital Marketing from Britts Imperial didn’t just give me confidence; it gave me a toolkit of relevant, in-demand skills. I learned about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), content creation, social media strategy, and data analytics. Suddenly, I wasn’t just nodding along in meetings; I was contributing valuable ideas.
This degree opens the door to so many exciting entry-level roles. You could become a:
- Social Media Coordinator: Managing a brand’s presence on platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
- Content Creator: Writing blog posts, creating videos, and designing graphics.
- SEO Assistant: Helping businesses get found on Google.
- Email Marketing Specialist: Crafting newsletters and campaigns that people actually want to open.
- Digital Marketing Assistant: A great all-round role where you get to try a bit of everything.
Six months after graduating, I landed a role as a Digital Marketing Executive. The pay was better, the work was genuinely interesting, and for the first time in years, I felt like I was on a proper career path. The chaos hasn’t completely disappeared—life is still life—but now it feels like organised chaos with a purpose.
If you think it’s impossible, I’m here to tell you it’s not. The key is finding a program built for the real world. Have a look at how schools like Britts Imperial University College UAE structure their degrees – you might be surprised at how manageable it looks. Your journey could start today.
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