u/Glum_Perception_1077

I've been getting questions about how I have been progressing so quickly through the DBA program, I started April 2026 and am currently 67% done, 1 class pending, 4 left. I'll try to keep the rundown short, any questions feel free to ask.

1. I have been in my industry for 16 years,
2. Got my bachelor's from WGU - took 10 months, took a 2-month break.
3. Bachelors ended in Oct '25, MBA at Capella started in Jan '26, completed MBA Feb '26.
4. DBA started Apr '26 - here we are now 61% complete. I also, somehow, had 1 transfer course for DBA, before the April start I had, maybe 4 or 7% done, however many 1 class is.

There are the stats, now here are some tips, or advantages I have.

1. I have a hybrid, flexible work schedule. So, 3 days a week, I can devote over 12 hours on schoolwork.
2. I spend the entire weekends on schoolwork. I aim to finish as quickly as possible, due to cost and just the fact of being an adult in school for the last almost 2 years.
3. Use AI, use it to keep track of your sources, it'll keep you accurate and help you sort through what makes sense and what doesn't (idc what you say, after looking up nearly 20 cites per paper, per assessment, you get cross eyed and can't tell if you're coming or going, you need a second set of eyes), in DBA, you'll get a literature matrix, USE IT, its coming in handy now that it's time to work on my final capstone, I can pull from my matrix and add whatever other sources I need.
4. The initial first half went quickly for me because it was courses like HR, teaching, etc. and I was fresh off the heels of both an bachelors and a masters, I have fresh info in my brain.
5. I sort of started mentally preparing for this program during the end of my bachelors, I'm in healthcare so most of my papers were written with healthcare in mind, as is my DBA paper.
6. I learned that instead of taking a school break like I did with my bachelors, to just take PTO from work, so when I really want to get a paper in, I take off.
7. I was already an avid audible subscriber, now some of those books are school related.
8. I try to respond to feedback and resubmit as quickly as I can, a day max, if I can.
9. Again, use AI, to keep yourself on track, it's very easy to veer off, and unfortunately most of us are working on topics that we can't find ppl readily available to proofread and keep up with changes etc., like ChatGPT can. NO, I AM NO SAYING TO LET CHATGPT WRITE YOUR PAPER, I am saying use it to your advantage.
10. Reach out to your professors. One of mine left his contact number and off of a whim I decided to call and shoot the breeze, he gave me the most valuable information for getting through the program (he said not many students actually took him up on his offer and called), he said, when a professor asks for X number of pages, stick to that. He said, if I only want 2 pages, only give me 2 pages, some professors will fail you for going over page limits. He said a large part of a doctorated degree is seeing if the student can follow directions.
11. Number 10 leads me here, I am a rambler, it doesn't take me long to skim the material and spit out the paper and it's easy because I already like to ramble.