when you finally get to attend the desired management college, it becomes relevant to keep up with the same determination and hard work throughout the college semesters. Even if many students successfully score the highest of percentiles, it still won’t affect one’s transition period in college. Here are a few tips that make studying MBA year of all management students productive while feeling the same amount of joy and excitement.
Become organised
Unlike Bachelors programme, the MBA degree is structured in a way that student imbibes professional attributes. Also, the number of projects and assignments in MBA would make you adapt a professional path in a similar way. As college has lesser restrictions, it becomes a must for all students to keep track of certain basic things like the due dates for assignments and projects. Planning things while keeping in mind all the important dates will always keep you all set before the examinations.
Making time for classes and coursework can be a challenge, especially if you are trying to balance a job and family with your education. The first few months can be particularly overwhelming. Establishing a schedule early on can help you stay on top of everything. Buy or download a daily planner and use it to track everything you need to do each day. Making lists and crossing things off as you complete them will keep you organized and help you with your time management.
Make the Most of the MBA “Card”
Pursuing an MBA gives you an ability that is too often ignored – the ability to ask for something on the grounds that you “are an MBA student.” You can more easily get informational interviews, obtain data, attend conferences, and open more doors than when you are in the professional world with ulterior motives assumed based on your job title and company. Use this freedom to explore new opportunities, meet new leaders, and figure out what it really is you want to do.
Grades. Don’t. Matter.
Check your fear of rejection at the door and take risks. Now, by this I don’t mean neglect your studies; I mean focus on learning as much as you can about STUFF YOU DON’T KNOW, not on getting the highest GPA. Once you embrace this, you will start taking more risks in your learning. Don’t take the safe route, take the challenging route.
Take that data science class, take intro to Python, enroll in a startup course to launch an idea. The goal should be to learn as much as you can and grow as much as you can. Take classes and join clubs in topics you know nothing about but want to learn. Do one or two business case competitions and consulting projects, do one in a topic outside your comfort zone. Business school is about exploration and stretching.
Learn to prioritize
When you choose to pursue an MBA, especially if you plan to continue to work full or part time, learning to prioritize is critical. With so many important tasks vying for your attention, you need to be able to quickly identify which are the most urgent and address them accordingly. Being able to prioritize effectively will help you to succeed not only in an MBA program, but in balancing your commitments outside of school as well. And remember, you may not be able to do everything to perfection, a principle that applies to your career post-graduation as well.
“If you are serious about prioritization, you need to be able to drop something in midstream to focus on another task that has greater potential to drive results,” Jake Gibson, co-founder and advisor of NerdWallet, wrote in Entrepreneur. “You have to be willing to do things half way just to get more done with the higher chances to yield strong results. And that isn’t easy for high performers.”
Don’t Worry
It is easy advice to give and hard advice to follow. But the truth is that you shouldn’t worry. Many of your fellow students share the same concerns. They are nervous too. And like you, they want to do well. The advantage in this is that you are not alone. The nervousness you feel is perfectly normal.
The key is to not let it stand in the way of your success. Although you may be uncomfortable at first, your business school will eventually begin to feel like a second home. You will make friends, you will get to know your professors and what is expected of you, and you will keep up with the coursework if you give yourself enough time to complete it and ask for help when you need it.
Start growing your network
A big part of an MBA course is the non-academic side of things. Networking and making contacts is a major reason for attending business school, so make the most of the opportunity. Introduce yourself to everyone you can, and spend time getting to know your classmates and professors. Particularly seek out those with different backgrounds to your own. This is one of the best chances you will have in your life to meet such a diverse range of people.
Networking is a big part of the business school experience. For new MBA students, finding time to network can be a challenge. However, it is very important that you incorporate networking into your schedule. The contacts you meet in business school can last a lifetime and may just help you get a job after graduation.
Try different things
MBA students are high achievers and often come thinking they just need to demonstrate what they already know.
A constant problem is MBAs who turn up thinking, ‘I’m the smart one.’ They then quickly discover there are people who are as smart, if not smarter, than they are. Students will become more assertive or aggressive instead of listening to others, when in fact they could be learning from them.On an MBA programme we get lawyers, doctors and PhDs. If you are not open to a variety of views, you will lose out.
Focus on building a balanced portfolio. Many MBAs focus on the things they are already good at — a banker will be good at finance, for example, so may choose finance options. But it is better try different things. Take on courses that might not bring immediate returns but will be useful later.There is an over-emphasis on networking, and new MBAs seem to think this is the number-one skill. But recruiters are very sharp and will be quick to see a lack of substance in a candidate.
Get advantage from college resources
Various students fail to utilize the impressive resources available on their campus as they never take out time to explore them. These resources such as labs, libraries and frequent workshops play a crucial role in preparing them for a career ahead. Such resources are a tool that can provide extra knowledge while keeping the physical and emotional health intact.
To conclude, it’s important for all prospective management students to understand that whatever you do, be sure to be yourself and try to enjoy your college experience as much as possible. Your professors and mentors are always around you to offer a helping hand so never let issues wear you down.
Go on Informational Interviews to Get Ahead
Don’t rely solely on on-campus Corporate Presentations for your internship or job search. Instead, use informational interviews to narrow the scope of your search, gather information that will give you a leg up in interviews, and build a network of contacts that will actively work to help you. When you go on informationals, learn as much as you can about your target industry, company, and role, and impress your contacts with your genuine interest and credentials without treating your talk like a formal interview.
And while you should start by leveraging your “traditional” network – classmates, friends, family, professors – to set up informationals, force yourself to step outside your comfort zone. Talk to professionals that come to your school to speak in classes or at conferences, and cold contact people in your target field on LinkedIn, especially alumni of your MBA program. The vaster the network you build, the greater your chances of landing your dream internship or job. One caveat: don’t go overboard making contacts at one company. Any more than two to three people and you might cause confusion for HR or seem overeager, which can be a turn-off.
