In today’s digital age, computers and the internet have become so commonplace that they have made online education more rampant. These online schools now compete heavily with brick-and-mortar educational institutions in terms of quality and standards.
In addition to quality, online schools also offer the following advantages:
- Learning from the comfort of your home and
- Learning at your own pace
- Activities and materials are more interesting
Taking an online degree, such as a degree in marketing, at home may at times make you feel it’s no longer important to be fashionable since no one else is around. Here are some reasons why you should still dress for success:
What’s Dressing for Success
Dressing for success, also known as power dressing, is the unique style of dressing to display position and authority that’s most commonly seen in the workplace. Power dressing has been established in the ’70s by John T. Malloy, who started the professional dress code.
In a study, participants who practiced power dressing reported that they actually felt more confident, trustworthy, and proficient. Generally speaking, dressing for success is important because of the following reasons:
- Gives a good impression
- Provides an impression that success has been achieved
- Opens opportunities
- Elicits trust and confidence
Power Dressing Affects How You Think and Work
People who study from home usually have the mindset of working in a comfortable, relaxed, and casual clothes. They’re also mostly lounging around the house, oftentimes falling asleep, and generally failing to attain the goals they established for the day.
In contrast, power dressing will definitely affect the way you think and work. Therefore, online students will find that dressing in style, even while at home, has the following positive effects:
- Have A More Productive Mindset
Power dressing psychologically affects the thinking processes such that you’ll feel like you’re attending an actual class. Therefore, you’ll become more mentally present in activities and engaged and interested in the day’s lessons and activities.
- You’ll Be More Focused and Task-oriented
When you dress in style, your mental processes change from casual to serious such that you’ll be more focused in your work and in attaining your established goals. Hence, you’ll become more productive and results-oriented.
- You’ll Think Clearly and Sharply
Dressing for success will help you feel more self-confident in your abilities making your thinking processes clearer and sharper. You’ll be more analytical and make smarter choices. Further, you will become better at expressing your thoughts and ideas.
- Become More Professional
When you’re called to work in a team and participate in group discussions and video calls, you may be required to do presentations. In such cases, you should definitely dress for success to give the impression that you’re a serious worker and a reliable and competent student.
In this way, you’ll be able to gain your audience’s attention and have an opportunity to convey your intended message.
- Increased Self-discipline
An experiment revealed that dressing for style while at home promotes the development of a mental clock in an individual. Thus, power dressing trains the mind to create time boundaries, such that:
- When you dress up for the day at 8 am, it means the start of the workday
- At 5 pm, it means the end of the workday and the start of one’s personal time.
Clothing associated with time and activity creates a mental distinction. Psychologically, this practice will develop your self- discipline, and help attain work-life balance.
- Elicit Consideration From Others
Power dressing at home while studying will elicit the impression that you’re serious about earning your online degree. Simultaneously, this will be a visual reminder to other people that you’re studying and shouldn’t be disturbed.
- Be More Attentive
Taking the time to get ready and dress in style will convert your mindset from relaxed to alert. When you become more attentive, your thinking processes will be sharper and you’ll be better equipped to take up the challenges, no matter how difficult they may be.
- You’ll Have Better Self-image
If stay-at-home students practice power dressing, they’ll develop a better self-image. For instance, if you’re working for a degree in marketing, you’ll at times become a member of a team and may be required to make a business pitch to potential clients or make negotiations, either personally or through digital means, such as Skype or Video Conferencing.
When you dress for success, you’ll be giving the client an impression of confidence, attain their trust, and get the opportunity to convey your message.
Conclusion:
In working to earn your online degree while staying at home, dressing for success is still a great principle to practice because of the many advantages it can give you. Be the complete package – a technically competent college student and a person who dresses for success. Then, you can be sure that the attainment of your goals will be within your reach.