This time last year I was just beginning to think about moving to Chicago. After talking about getting my MBA for a while, it was finally happening! I was excited and looking forward to the day I could officially update my LinkedIn profile to say “MBA Candidate at X”. Fast forward to today and I’m an MBA student. In one week I’ll have wrapped up my second quarter as a full-time student with just one quarter left in my first year. I figured this was a good point to take some time to write about my experience so far and also share a bit about what’s next for me.
Going Back To School
The transition from full-time employee to full-time MBA student was not as smooth as I wanted. I gave myself about four weeks “vacation” before starting class. However, two of those four weeks included first year orientation so, honestly, I had about two weeks off before starting school.
In retrospect I didn’t give myself enough time to transition from full-time employee to full-time MBA student.
That meant it took me a few weeks to get into the groove of studying at a reasonable pace, submitting assignments, etc.
If you’re reading this prior to starting business school in Fall 2020, I can’t tell you the exact right amount of time needed to make the transition back to being a student. I can tell you it’s probably longer than two weeks.
Eventually I figured things out and got organized. Today I have a system in place to stay organized. This doesn’t mean that I always stick to my system but it generally works for me. The key to set myself up for success is to play to my strengths like–avoid enrolling in 8:30am classes unless I have absolutely no other choice. I’m not a morning person and I never will be.
In Class – Learning
By June I will have completed 11 of the 21 classes I need for graduation. So far, one of my favorite classes as an MBA student has been the one that kicked my a** the most: Micro-Economics.
University of Chicago has a very deep and enduring connection with the study of Economics (look at all these Economics Nobel Prize winners affiliated with UChicago). As a result, everyone who studies Economics at Booth is likely to end up with a professor who deeply cares about the course. My Micro-Econ class required the most mental effort from my poor old brain but, I learned A LOT. I definitely won’t be writing Economic policy any time soon but I credit that class with shifting my thinking on some economic policy and isn’t that what school should be about?
Sidenote for my concerned non-MBA friends reading this: still not a Republican.
When I was applying to business school, there was a question I received a lot. Once people learned about my background I would inevitably receive some variation of the same question: “You already work at X, why do you need to go to business school?”
I always gave answers like: “There’s more I can learn.” or “A full-time MBA is a safe space to try new things” or “I can focus on learning more about the business topics that interest me”.
Good news, all of that is happening. I haven’t been disappointed.
There are concrete, “business-y”, things that I have learned in this first year. I can now calculate the cash-to-cash cycle for a business and I know why that matters. I have a better understanding of how Netflix justifies its lack of profit so it can continue borrowing money to bring us ridiculous TV like ‘Love Is Blind’ (I binged that entire show and WOW). I have a better understanding of how to manage inventory so any business I manage in the future doesn’t run out of product for customers. I can take a more strategic view when thinking about launching a new product.
I am better at doing these things today than I was this time last year.
If I wasn’t in school, I could have rotated through a variety of roles at work over a period of more than two years in order to try and learn some of these things on the job. As someone who already learned “on the job” for a lot of my career up to this point, I strongly believe school is faster.
“Transformation”
Like many business school applicants, I wrote about wanting a “transformational” experience as an MBA student. At this point in my first year I can safely say that the “transformation” is happening. My perspectives on work, my approach to problem solving, the tools I have access to, etc are changing and sharpening.
I’m also going to be fully transparent here. I’m not sure that every MBA student at every school will agree with my experience. There are definitely MBA students who are not learning Game Theory or Supply Chain Strategy for the first time. Those people may have a different perspective on the level of “transformation” they have experienced so far. Also, not every school is the same. Some MBA programs won’t let you take electives in your first quarter/semester (which we are able to do). Maybe Micro-Econ isn’t as brain-melting or perspective shifting everywhere. YMMV.
Personally, I appreciate the additional “context” that I’ve gained. I appreciate the doors that are open to me today that weren’t necessarily open before. I’ve also met some truly smart and talented MBA classmates and friends, not just at Booth, who will definitely go on to great things. Yet another plus.
What’s Next – Spring Quarter, Summer Internship
Spring Quarter starts in April. By the end of Spring quarter, in June, I will officially be halfway done with my MBA!
In June, I’m looking forward to taking all this shiny new knowledge and applying it to real business problems in the real world as part of my summer internship. I’m also looking forward to earning a paycheck for a few months.
I haven’t yet shared on this blog or on Instagram exactly where I will be interning this summer. I’m excited to tell you now because this company has been on my “places to work” list for years.
I was going to be coy and leave a riddle for you to solve…
I also really thought about an online scavenger hunt…
In the end, I’ll just keep it relatively simple like my b-school decisions update.
This summer I will be taking my talents and my belongings here.
April 5th update: Soon after I published this post, Coronavirus cases in the US began to increase significantly and capture national attention. Many states are currently implementing social distancing and closing down—including California where I was supposed to intern this summer. I’ll still be working in the same internship role at the same company but, my internship is now fully remote. Still grateful for the opportunity and hoping we all get out of this situation soon! Take care and stay safe!
Thank you for reading!
